The Origin of Awareness Bracelets

Awareness bracelets started becoming popular in the year 2004. An organization called Lance Armstrong Foundation stated the trend of awareness bracelets. These bracelets were yellow silicone bracelets and they spread awareness against breast cancer and support the researches conducted on breast cancer.

This trend was carried forward and adopted as a tool to spread awareness for many other campaigns. Silicone bracelets were used to promote causes like ‘Make Poverty History’, BBC’s ‘Beat Bullying’ campaign.

This trend has not died down. Silicone bracelets are used by many organizations/ charities to promote several social causes for the betterment of the society. This has taken a universal dimension. International organizations as well as national ones and even local clubs use silicone awareness bracelets.

Awareness Bracelets and Fund Raising

Awareness bracelets are also used for the purpose of raising funds for many different causes. This has grown as an extremely popular trend. Many schools follow this in order to raise funds for sports. The names of teams are written on these silicone bracelets. The costs incurred for the purpose of training are raised by selling these bracelets.

Schools, churches sometimes use this method to raise funds in this way to support transport expenses and expedition expenses. They also purchase items that are needed in churches. Some groups raise money by selling silicone awareness bracelets to take part in various competitions that are held at the state level or for that matter, even in the national level.

Not just breast cancer, these bracelets are used to raise funds for many other malignant diseases. Nonprofit organizations or charities even use them to promote awareness against multiple sclerosis, AIDS, diabetes. Animal rights organizations also motivate people against the cruelty and unjust treatment done upon animals with the help of these bracelets.

These silicone bracelets are medium sized and are flexible. These are the most affordable tokens that can be distributed for fund raising purposes. It is highly unprofitable to distribute tokens that are expensive by themselves. The purpose will be lost in that case. However, the silicone awareness bracelets at school and church levels are sold at extremely affordable prices.

You must be thinking that these people have gone mad to sport such prepubescent fashion on adult arms, but if you take a closer look, you will find that these are not just any silly fashion accessory that dresses up your outfit.  These are what they call, custom rubber bracelets, which spread social awareness about a particular cause or event.

These custom rubber bracelets are special. They are inscribed with messages supporting a particular cause or event, usually meant for charity and these charitable organizations often sell thousands or millions of custom rubber bracelets which act as fundraising items.

Because these silicone rubber bracelets are very cheap and within the budget of most people, people can afford to purchase a dozen or two of these bracelets in different colors and patterns, matching with their outfits. Half a dollar price tag for such cute rubber bracelets is the real reason behind the popularity of these bracelets. After all who wouldn’t love showing off such colorful and fashionable bracelets on well manicured hands?

So far we thought only corporate organizations and companies tried to publicize and promote their companies by distributing hundreds of custom rubber bracelets, completely free of cost. Of course rubber bracelets are better giveaways than cups and mugs and pens and they are less costly as well. In fact rubber bracelets are ideal giveaways for corporate companies because of their aesthetic appeal and dirt cheap rates.

But nowadays even politicians are using custom rubber bracelets to promote their party or a particular candidate. These politicians emboss their names and party slogans on rubber bands of their chosen party color and distribute these silicone rubber bands to supporters and the general public for free during campaigns.

Now during presidential campaigns, if you see one group of people wearing blue silicone rubber wristbands and the other party wearing red, you will immediately guess which group belongs to which political party.

But mostly, custom rubber bracelets are sold or distributed free of cost to raise awareness about debilitating diseases or to raise funds for the rehab of victims of natural catastrophes like earthquakes and tsunamis and volcanoes and famines or floods.

Sometimes wholesale rubber bracelets are sold to raise money to help victims of natural catastrophes like tsunamis or earthquakes or floods or famines or landslides etc.

Corporations and companies and organizations usually opt for wholesale rubber bracelets because then they can buy it cheap. The wholesale price of silicone rubber bracelets can be as little as 50 cents or half a dollar. When corporate houses or charitable organizations and NGOs purchase wholesale rubber bracelets, they can save a lot of money.

Then they customize these bracelets, emboss their own slogans or logos or messages on these and either distribute them free of cost to publicize or promote a company or sell them to raise funds to support noble causes. Because wholesale prices are cheap, it makes sense to buy these silicone rubber bracelets at wholesale rates for this translates into a very economic way of advertising your company or cause and awakening public awareness.

NGOs and foundations often obtain excellent retails when they sell wholesale rubber bracelets at superior rates. Since the profit margin is high, the profit that is earned is spent on philanthropic causes. And the best part is that no other promotional item, be it cups, mugs, t-shirts, caps, pen sets, or whatever novel idea you have, can provide such high revenues. It is a win-win situation for all. Even pins or notebooks or calendars aren’t such revenue generating promotional products, compared to wholesale rubber bracelets.

And these are fast fliers from the rack. Because these silicone rubber bracelets are cute and attractive and sport different colors and different patterns, people love to wear them to dress up their outfits and wrists and these also last for a long time. They are always circular and they will never ever lose their round shape. The light, supple and soft texture ensures that it is easy on the skin and is ideal for daily wear. And they are resilient and durable as well.

There are many online companies which sell wholesale rubber bracelets at discounted prices and if you look through their catalogue, you will come across thousands of designs and patterns. Just choose the ones you like, order the number of pieces you require and you are done. Delivery of wholesale rubber bracelets can be made to you within 3 to 5 days.

You can spot these on every second arm when you step out of your house and they are available in a riot of colors, in pale pastel shades as well as in shocking shades, in contrasting colors to grab eyeballs and of course you have the liberty to choose from a variety of designs.

They are extremely pocket friendly, affordable and even college goers can easily flaunt a dozen of them on their wrists. If you want to make a cool campus statement, you can mix and match 3 or 4 Rubber bracelets and wear them on your wrists, matching with your outfit.

Silicone Rubber bracelets are also strong and durable; they can stand the pressure of wear and tear and are created in such a way that they last for a long time. So, as you can understand, these silicone Rubber bracelets are good value for money fashion pop picks.

But these Rubber bracelets today are no longer simply fashion accessories, they serve a graver purpose in the form of being vehicles through which you can create public awareness regarding burning social issues. You can customize your Rubber bracelets and inscribe messages on them, emboss your organization’s logo on them, scribble messages and slogans on them to create awareness of various kinds of social or charity or fun events, social causes etc.

Almost every second celebrity nowadays are seen wearing silicone Rubber bracelets espousing some cause or the other – some carry the messages of the United Nations, some of WHO, some of CRY or Child Relief and You, some of UNICEF and so on, and so forth. Many of these Rubber bracelets spread awareness about cancer, AIDS, hepatitis, influenza and other such life threatening diseases.

Even basketball players, workers and members of health awareness organizations, peer counselors, religious groups, cheerleaders and political leaders as well as missionaries wear these message or awareness silicone Rubber bracelets to espouse their respective causes. Sometimes they are worn to show solidarity for some cause.

These silicone Rubber bracelets were popularized by a certain Lance Armstrong during the Tour de France, 2004 when he wore a yellow silicone rubber wristband to support his Lance Armstrong Foundation – a charity organization that raises funds to fight against cancer.

What you call the bracelets is not as important as what they may be used for. Generally, they are used for fundraising and awareness promotions. Many organizations sell them with an important phrase or symbol imprinted on the bracelet created in some significant color to help identify their cause.

A rubber band bracelet is made of durable silicone that can stretch but will not break easily. During manufacture the bracelet is molded in the colors of choice and the text is debossed into the bracelet. It is possible to simply print the text on the bracelet but the text can eventually wear away, and debossed text prevents that from happening. Of course, another option is to paint or color the debossed text to enhance the look of the bracelet allowing the text to stand out more.

Text is not the only thing people have printed or debossed on the bracelets. Many have opted to have symbols or logos included on the rubber band bracelet. Including a logo is an excellent way of marketing a product or brand. Some companies have pass out the bracelets and encourage people to wear them and display them freely. This type of use can be an inexpensive promotional tool for just about any company or organization.

Many fundraisers and charities will sell the bracelets to raise money. At the same time having people wear them around town creates visibility and awareness for any cause, idea, or brand being promoted. The cost of the rubber bracelet is low, and the larger quantity purchased, the lower the cost will be for each one. The cost can go down well below a dollar a bracelet allowing plenty of head room for profit that can benefit any fundraiser.

Whether you call them rubber band bracelets, silicone bracelets, rubber bracelets, or awareness bracelets, they are another good way to raise money, create awareness, and promote your product brand.