Promotional Keyrings Can Be the Best Way to Brand Your Business

If you're looking for the best way to brand your business, you can start with promotional key rings. Key rings are only second in the list of most popular forms of promotional merchandise, beaten to the top by promotional pens. This makes them a big seller for Total Merchandise.

So why exactly were key rings invented? Well the earliest documentation of keys was over 3,000 years ago in Ancient Egypt. Egyptians realised they needed some sort of security for their homes and created a basic locking system for security purposes. For some this was just a wooden peg, whilst others created a bolt. These were the fundamental building blocks for the locks and keys we have now. The Roman's had a go at creating a lock next, using bronze and iron to create their designs. However, whilst they were similar to the locks and keys we have now, any key would fit any lock. There was no complex procedures to stop thieves, if you had the same lock you would be able to use your key. This was the same right up until the seventeenth Century.

In the seventeenth Century a man called Robert Barron manufactured the first ever double lock. These were adapted by several other companies right up until the locks we have today. However, there was still no need for key rings at this point. People only started to use key rings as they started to have more keys which needed to be kept together. This meant key rings or split keys, were created in 1922 by G Herluf Johnson. It was originally just a small ring which holds keys together. Whilst we consider them now to be very simple, back then they were considered a sign of wealth and everyone wanted one.

Not long after this, in the 1950's and 1960's, people started adding other accessories to their key rings, creating key fobs. Following the second World War, plastic manufacturing techniques improved, so key fobs became more prominent. From then on, they were used more and more as a way of promoting a business. They have developed even further since then, some key rings are multi purpose doubling as a bottle opener, torch and even Swiss army knife!

Promotional keyrings are a very popular form of merchandise, as they combine being useful with branding. For promotional key rings please see the Total Merchandise website or give us a call for advice.

Written by

Total Merchandise | Editoral Team

Our editorial team is drawn from a pool of experienced promotional merchandise product team members, account managers, marketers and other contributors. With such a wide range of skills and experience, they write about many aspects of promotional merchandise, wider marketing and business matters, as well as company news updates.

Connect with Total Merchandise on LinkedIn Connect with Total Merchandise on LinkedIn

Total Merchandise
Revealed: The Best-Selling Promotional Products Of 2023

Revealed: The Best-Selling Promotional Products Of 2023

It's safe to say that 2023 has been quite the year for Total Merchandise. Over the last 12 months, we've hit some major milestones, grown our team, hosted our fi

Get Ahead of The Competition with Best-Selling Sports Merchandise

Get Ahead of The Competition with Best-Selling Sports Merchandise

With 84% of Brits having watched some sort of sport on the BBC alone last summer, it's fair to say that we're a nation of sports fans. Whether it was the FA Cup final, W

Our 10 Best-Selling Promotional Pens To Inspire Your Next Campaign

Our 10 Best-Selling Promotional Pens To Inspire Your Next Campaign

It may well be mightier than the sword - well, according to some, at least - but one thing's for sure: a promotional pen is a highly-effective tool to help market your

The Best Autumn Merchandise Ideas For Your UK Business In 2024

The Best Autumn Merchandise Ideas For Your UK Business In 2024

Breathe it in, people: is that the crisp scent of autumn we can smell on the distant breeze...? Sure, it might still be warm outside - but with September a matter of day

Revealed! The Promotional Essentials Every Charity Needs In 2024

Revealed! The Promotional Essentials Every Charity Needs In 2024

If you work for a charity - whether it's a nationwide organisation or a brand new initiative based on a locally-identified cause - you'll know how important spreading yo

In Honour of Plastic Free July: Ideas To Help Your Brand Cut Plastic

In Honour of Plastic Free July: Ideas To Help Your Brand Cut Plastic

Plastic Free July is an inspiring worldwide movement that encourages people around the globe to swap single-use plastics in favour of other options.  From disposabl