We are Innovation 1st.

We create beautiful branded products to help our clients market their brand. 

What your products are and how they are say who you are.

Ian Mallalue and Garry Holland set up Innovation 1st to change the way the world thinks about branded products. They created an agency of people focused on innovation, who work closely with clients in a relentless pursuit to create world class products with Innovation 1st’s own unique thumb print on it.

We will tell your brand’s story through products.

Depending on where you are on your journey, we will use one or a combination of these services to answer serious marketing challenges.

We can help you to build brand awareness using merchandise, create events and promotions to increase conversions or design licensing programmes to generate new revenue streams.

Innovation 1st was created to plug a gap in the promotional merchandise market. Truly end-to-end service provision for promotional products just didn’t exist when we started. We connected the dots and employed professionals in design, procurement, logistics and finance to give our corporate clients the best promotional merchandise experience possible.

Those founding principles still ring true today as we consistently offer tailored solutions to our clients and weave our expertise into every project we undertake. We are very good at what we do but our service isn’t about us, it’s all about you. Imagine your brand coming to life in a tangible way. Products telling your story; extolling your virtues, delivering your message in a unique, succinct way. That’s what really puts your brand in first. That’s what we can do for you.

It's all about you! That's the approach.

You talk, we listen. You take a leap of faith and we catch you. You ask, we deliver. It is simple. It is effective. It produces some amazing results. Tell us what needs solving and we'll solve it. You ask, we work. 

We specialise in seamlessly integrating your brand into people's lives through the creation of thoughtful products that tell your brand's story. Our expertise extends to dynamic sales promotions, client and employee gifting for fostering loyalty, and support at exhibitions and events. We believe that effective merchandise should not merely consist of a collection of items; it should offer an immersive experience with impact, longevity, and engagement. 

Our exquisitely designed promotional products stand out as an exceptional way to garner attention for your business. These innovative merchandise items serve to initiate or elevate the experience that clients or employees have with your brand. Our portfolio boasts numerous successful examples of our work, showcasing our limitless creativity when it comes to branding products. Contact us, and let's explore how we can elevate your brand perception among customers, staff, or the general public.

Elevating your brand's visibility is crucial. The impact of showcasing your business on people is profound, fostering awareness, recognition, and trust—especially when executed with creativity and style. Apparel, as an architectural canvas, transcends the mere act of placing a logo on a t-shirt, hat, or bag; it embodies a fusion of form and function. Whether outfitting your staff with event uniforms or catering directly to customers, the spectrum can span from high-end, high-fashion pieces to functional day-to-day wear.

Collaborating closely with you, we'll curate a range tailored precisely to your specifications. Our commitment extends to crafting entirely bespoke apparel. With our in-house design and material experts, we not only create but also source garments globally to meet your unique requirements. Serving clients across diverse sectors, we specialize in crafting event uniforms, racing apparel, fanwear, and more, ensuring consistent delivery of high-quality products with every order.

The beating heart of our business is creativity. We take immense pride in our adeptness at not only understanding client needs but also crafting industry-defining visuals that breathe life into ideas. Spearheading this creative endeavour is our in-house Creative Team whose enthusiasm for inspirational, quality design is infectious. 

Whether it's orchestrating a new product launch, fostering brand collaborations, or executing a comprehensive release of promotional items, we stand ready to assist you. Our seasoned Creative Team possesses expertise in product design and is capable of fashioning unique products from inception. Every facet of our merchandising or apparel production is meticulously overseen by our team, ensuring an unwavering commitment to top-notch quality. From conceptualisation and design to manufacturing, we take pride in delivering superior products on time and within budget.

Within the confines of our organisation, our dedicated in-house design team stands as a formidable force, acting as impeccable brand guardians. Armed with a profound understanding of your brand ethos and aesthetic standards, they exhibit an unparalleled ability to curate and generate product-ready artwork that aligns seamlessly with the distinctive essence of your brand.

Their prowess extends beyond the realm of artistic creativity; they function as custodians of your brand integrity. This entails a comprehensive grasp of your brand guidelines and a commitment to translating them into every stroke and detail of the artwork produced. The result is not only visually captivating but also a true reflection of the essence that makes your brand unique.

Web stores are becoming increasingly popular amongst brands that want to centralise their merchandise offering and ensure brand consistency across their business. We offer a complete solution, creating fully branded merchandise and apparel that is displayed to your employees via a bespoke platform that has been designed to your requirements from the ground up. This complete service also includes stock management and worldwide delivery.

Our web stores can handle different types of internal billing and authorisations so you can have confidence that any internal guidelines for procurement are being followed. If you need people to pay at the point of order, we can implement full eCommerce solutions. This can be useful if you have third parties or customers interested in your brand that want to buy or distribute your merchandise.

We have successfully distributed hundreds of thousands of merchandise products to destinations worldwide, acting as an invaluable partner to our clients and removing the need for them to worry about freight. Our global logistics solution is the bedrock of this accomplishment, guaranteeing that your merchandise not only reaches its intended destinations but does so with precision and efficiency, ensuring it lands in the hands of individuals who can truly make a difference, regardless of their location.

No matter where your aspirations for branded products and apparel lead, consider us your dedicated partner in crafting a comprehensive, tailor-made solution that seamlessly aligns with your unique requirements. Our commitment to delivering excellence extends beyond mere logistics — we are devoted to curating an experience that resonates with your brand identity and exceeds your expectations.

A cornerstone of our expertise lies in the adept management of stock programs. Whether you require a steady supply chain for ongoing operations or periodic releases of branded merchandise, our well-versed team ensures the seamless execution and management of these programs, guaranteeing that your inventory remains optimised and readily available whenever and wherever needed.

Our global reach is not just about the physical delivery of products; it's about creating meaningful connections through merchandise. We've fostered successful relationships across diverse regions, establishing authentic connections with local markets and effectively representing our clients' brands on a global stage. This comprehensive approach, coupled with our unwavering dedication to excellence, positions us as your reliable partner in every step of the merchandising journey.