--- title: A peek inside the ETC swag bag – et cetera... description: Rick Wolff presents a behind-the-scenes look at ETC swag – from the quirky “We’d Rather Be Sailing” pen, to the popular Source Four USB drive. image: https://blog.etcconnect.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/ETC-swag-collection-750x500.jpg --- - [ETCCONNECT](https://etcconnect.com/) - [ABOUT](https://blog.etcconnect.com/about) - [AUTHORS](https://blog.etcconnect.com/blog-authors) - [CONTACT](https://blog.etcconnect.com/contact) [Follow us on Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/ElectronicTheatreControls) [Follow us on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/ElectronicTheatreControls) [Follow us on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/electronic-theatre-controls) [Follow us on LinkedIn](https://www.youtube.com/user/ETCVideoLibrary) [![EtCetera\_319x104](https://blog.etcconnect.com/hs-fs/hubfs/EtCetera_319x104.png?width=319&height=104&name=EtCetera_319x104.png "EtCetera_319x104")](https://blog.etcconnect.com) [![ETC Blog](https://blog.etcconnect.com/hs-fs/hubfs/EtCetera_319x104.png?width=319&height=104&name=EtCetera_319x104.png "ETC Blog")](https://blog.etcconnect.com) - [SPOTLIGHT](https://blog.etcconnect.com/tag/spotlight) - [ETC CULTURE](https://blog.etcconnect.com/tag/etc-culture) - [GEAR](https://blog.etcconnect.com/tag/gear) - [LEARN](https://blog.etcconnect.com/tag/learn) - [ODDS & ENDS](https://blog.etcconnect.com/tag/odds-ends) - [BRIGHT IDEAS](https://blog.etcconnect.com/tag/bright-ideas) Search ## [![blog-header](https://blog.etcconnect.com/hs-fs/hubfs/blog-header.png?width=476&height=155&name=blog-header.png "blog-header")](https://www.etcconnect.com) [Follow us on Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/ElectronicTheatreControls) [Follow us on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/ElectronicTheatreControls) [Follow us on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/electronic-theatre-controls) [Follow us on LinkedIn](https://www.youtube.com/user/ETCVideoLibrary) [✕](https://blog.etcconnect.com/2018/02/peek-inside-etc-swag-bag#gwen-offcanvas-primary) - [SPOTLIGHT](https://blog.etcconnect.com/tag/spotlight) - [ETC CULTURE](https://blog.etcconnect.com/tag/etc-culture) - [GEAR](https://blog.etcconnect.com/tag/gear) - [LEARN](https://blog.etcconnect.com/tag/learn) - [ODDS & ENDS](https://blog.etcconnect.com/tag/odds-ends) - [BRIGHT IDEAS](https://blog.etcconnect.com/tag/bright-ideas) # A peek inside the ETC swag bag ![Guest Blogger](https://blog.etcconnect.com/hs-fs/hubfs/ETC-logo-avatar.png?width=34&height=34&name=ETC-logo-avatar.png)By [Guest Blogger](https://blog.etcconnect.com/author/guest-blogger) 15 Feb 2018 ![](https://blog.etcconnect.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/ETC-swag-collection-750x500.jpg) **Swag** has become an industry slang term to refer to promotional items, typically given away by vendors at trade shows and events to encourage attendees to visit their booth and to thank guests for their support. Since it is company branded, it also serves as a form of creative promotion in the marketplace. ![ETC swag mug](https://blog.etcconnect.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/IMG_0728-350x263.jpg?width=350&height=263&name=IMG_0728-350x263.jpg)There is a bit of a debate over what swag could be an acronym for, including: - something worth actually getting - souvenirs, wearables, and gifts - stuff we acquired gratis - stuff we all get In any case, in our industry, swag plays a pivotal role in not only promoting ETC but also cultivating excitement among our loyal customers. It may sound weird, but handing a customer an ETC T-shirt can have a similar reaction to handing them a bar of gold! That is the kind of brand loyalty and positive fanaticism our customers share with us. ## The first ETC swag Instigated by Fred Foster in 1979, the first-ever ETC swag item was a pen emblazoned with “We’d Rather Be Sailing.” While that is a story for another day (or another blog post), it’s a good example of our deep and vivid history of unique and fun items for our customers. ![ETC "We'd Rather Be Sailing" pen ](https://blog.etcconnect.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/ETC-pen.gif?width=750&height=79&name=ETC-pen.gif) Speaking of Fred, he also occasionally hosts an event for newly-hired ETC employees entitled, *Free Lunch with Fred.*  Here he tells the story of ETC in his own words and relays the rich history of our company. He often tells the tale using ETC T-shirts from the past highlighting significant benchmarks or accomplishments which were celebrated with, (what else?) a branded T-shirt. ![Free Lunch with Fred - ETC T-shirts](https://blog.etcconnect.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Lunch-with-Fred-001-1024x479.jpg?width=750&height=351&name=Lunch-with-Fred-001-1024x479.jpg) ![ETC Eos Ti USB drive](https://blog.etcconnect.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Eos_Ti_USB-350x246.jpg?width=150&height=105&name=Eos_Ti_USB-350x246.jpg) ![ETC Source Four USB drive](https://blog.etcconnect.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Source_Four_USB-350x280.jpg?width=150&height=120&name=Source_Four_USB-350x280.jpg)While clothing is king when it comes to swag, more unusual items are becoming increasingly popular. Topping the ETC list is custom product USB storage devices. One of our best selling items ever is the Source Four USB. In exciting news, we recently added a new Eos Ti USB flash drive to this family of cute collectibles. Our customers and fans are great at giving us ideas for new items. In a Facebook post last year, we opened up the forum for ideas. Some were pretty good and actually became new merchandise (LED lantern, backpacks, and stainless steel tumblers.)  Some of the other ideas were a bit, shall we say, “out there,” such as a suggestion for an ETC chainsaw (my personal favorite). In case you missed it, here’s the video we ran alongside the post – we had such fun making it! ## Online Swag Store In response to overwhelming demand, these days we offer cool ETC merchandise online. This is in addition to our typical offering of free swag at shows and special events. So, no matter where you are in the world, you’re only a few clicks away from getting exceptional items to celebrate the special culture and products created at ETC. If you’re based in North America, you can visit our store here: [shop.etcconnect.com](https://shop.etcconnect.com/). For anywhere else in the world, visit [shop.etcconnect.eu](https://shop.etcconnect.eu/). \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* ![Rick Wolff - ETC](https://blog.etcconnect.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Rick-Wolff.png?width=180&height=180&name=Rick-Wolff.png)***Rick Wolff** Has been an ETC employee for more than 20 years. In addition to welcoming visitors and providing factory tours, Hospitality Coordinator Rick is currently the face of ETC’s in-house swag store at the company’s headquarters in Middleton, WI. He plays a leading role in the design and creation of ETC swag and is a key player in ETC’s two online swag store platforms.* - - - 0 [#ETC](https://blog.etcconnect.com/tag/etc) [#TOWN SQUARE](https://blog.etcconnect.com/tag/town-square) [#ODDS & ENDS](https://blog.etcconnect.com/tag/odds-ends) [#swag](https://blog.etcconnect.com/tag/swag) [#Fred Foster](https://blog.etcconnect.com/tag/fred-foster) [#Rick Wolff](https://blog.etcconnect.com/tag/rick-wolff) [#ETC Culture](https://blog.etcconnect.com/tag/etc-culture) ### From the Museum: Early Gio console prototypes [Previous article](https://blog.etcconnect.com/2018/02/monthly-museum-the-evolution-of-the-gio-prototype) ### Secrets of Product Listing Part 2: Tools and tips for specifiers and users [Next article](https://blog.etcconnect.com/2018/02/secrets-of-product-listing-tools-and-tips-for-specifiers-and-users) [Guest Blogger](https://blog.etcconnect.com/author/guest-blogger) ![Guest Blogger](https://blog.etcconnect.com/hs-fs/hubfs/ETC-logo-avatar.png?width=180&height=180&name=ETC-logo-avatar.png) #### You may also like [![](https://blog.etcconnect.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/20181020-JI3A4046-1.jpg)](https://blog.etcconnect.com/2018/10/etc-and-high-end-systems-turn-heads-at-ldi) [FEATURED](https://blog.etcconnect.com/tag/featured) ### [ETC and High End Systems turn heads at LDI](https://blog.etcconnect.com/2018/10/etc-and-high-end-systems-turn-heads-at-ldi) By [Quinn Wirth](https://blog.etcconnect.com/author/quinn-buchanan) 24-Oct-2018 Team ETC and High End is settling back in after a flurry of activities at LDI this weekend… [Read More](https://blog.etcconnect.com/2018/10/etc-and-high-end-systems-turn-heads-at-ldi) [![](https://blog.etcconnect.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/LDI_2018_62-749x500.jpg)](https://blog.etcconnect.com/2019/01/2018-in-review-etcs-10-most-read-blog-posts) [ETC](https://blog.etcconnect.com/tag/etc) ### [2018 in review: ETC’s 10 most read blog posts](https://blog.etcconnect.com/2019/01/2018-in-review-etcs-10-most-read-blog-posts) By [Quinn Wirth](https://blog.etcconnect.com/author/quinn-buchanan) 30-Jan-2019 With 2019 underway, we’re taking a moment to put our “best of” content from last year in the spotlight. In 2018, we had many meaningful conversations about topics such as LED technology, OSC, Eos... [Read More](https://blog.etcconnect.com/2019/01/2018-in-review-etcs-10-most-read-blog-posts) [![](https://blog.etcconnect.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Best-Blogs-2019.jpg)](https://blog.etcconnect.com/2020/01/2019-in-review-etcs-top-10-blog-posts) [ETC](https://blog.etcconnect.com/tag/etc) ### [2019 in review: ETC’s top 10 blog posts](https://blog.etcconnect.com/2020/01/2019-in-review-etcs-top-10-blog-posts) By [Quinn Wirth](https://blog.etcconnect.com/author/quinn-buchanan) 2-Jan-2020 Ready for some hindsight in 2020? We couldn’t let the new year start without cracking that joke *or* looking back at our “best of” content from 2019. In the last year, we had a lot to discuss, from... [Read More](https://blog.etcconnect.com/2020/01/2019-in-review-etcs-top-10-blog-posts) - [ETCCONNECT](https://etcconnect.com/) - [About](https://blog.etcconnect.com/about) - [Authors](https://blog.etcconnect.com/blog-authors) - [Links](https://blog.etcconnect.com/links) - [Contact us](https://blog.etcconnect.com/contact) [Privacy Policy & Legal Notices](https://www.etcconnect.com/Privacy-Policy-Terms-of-Use-and-Acceptable-Use.aspx) [CA Transparency Act & Transparency in Coverage](https://www.etcconnect.com/About/California-Supply-Chain-Transparency-Act.aspx) [Do Not Share My Personal Info](https://www.etcconnect.com/Do-Not-Share-My-Personal-Info/) [CA Privacy Rights](https://www.etcconnect.com/CA-Privacy-Rights/) ![ETC blog](https://blog.etcconnect.com/hubfs/ETC-logo_footer-wh.png)   ![ETC 50 anniversary](https://www.etcconnect.com/uploadedimages/Main_Site/Images/50yr_160x80.png "ETC 50 anniversary") [![ETC social networks](https://www.etcconnect.com/uploadedFiles/Main_Site/Images/social_Footer.png "ETC social networks")](https://www.etcconnect.com/Get-connected.aspx) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Guest Blogger", "url" : "https://blog.etcconnect.com/author/guest-blogger" }, "dateModified" : "2022-07-20T14:11:29.185Z", "datePublished" : "2018-02-15T06:00:00.000Z", "headline" : "A peek inside the ETC swag bag – et cetera...", "image" : [ "https://blog.etcconnect.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/ETC-swag-collection-750x500.jpg" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://blog.etcconnect.com/2018/02/peek-inside-etc-swag-bag", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://blog.etcconnect.com/hubfs/Logos%20-%20Icons%20-%20Design%20Elements/ETC_4c.png" }, "name" : "ETC" } } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "VideoObject", "contentUrl" : "https://21028759.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/21028759/ETC-swag-video-2017.mp4", "dateModified" : "2022-07-20T14:05:20.181Z", "duration" : "PT39.038S", "height" : 720, "name" : "ETC-swag-video-2017", "thumbnailUrl" : "https://21028759.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/21028759/ETC-swag-video-2017.mp4/medium.jpg", "uploadDate" : "2022-07-20T13:55:17.050Z", "width" : 1280 } ```