New York Times OpEd Article May 1987 re. Matches Are Used for Bragging
New York Times OpEd Article May 1987 re. Matches Are Used for Bragging
An old NY Times Op Ed piece dated May, 7 1987 titled "A Lesson in Lagniappe" explaining the essential purpose for why people collect advertising matches despite the recent bans on smoking.
"... matches are hard to improve on as the ultimate small souvenir - shimmering, place-dropping evidence that the bearer recently flew on Air Force One, dined at Lutece, visited Gracie Mansion or celebrated Jeffrey's bar mitzvah. .... People want matches for striking, smoking or lighting, but most of all for bragging."
If you're interested in bragging about your business go to:
or give our staff of "enablers" a call at 800.605.7331.
Promotional Flyer Circa 1980's Universal Match Corp. Targeted to Hotels
In 1987, When I first started my career in the Advertising Match business, I was the Regional Sales Manager at Universal Match Corporation. Universal Match was considered the "Rolls Royce" highest quality standard in the match industry back then. During the time I was there and prior to their liquidation in 1991, they employed over 70 direct outside sales people covering all 50 states in the U.S. who were dedicated exclusively to selling only advertising match books and match boxes!
This is a copy of one of their many targeted sales person "leave behind" flyers that would have been distributed to all hotels, motels and resorts. "MATCH YOUR_, _, _, _, _, YOUR NAME WITH MORE BUSINESS."
The flyer suggested how branded matches should have been distributed throughout the entire hotel's property during that period:
in their guest rooms (all were smoking rooms back then), at their restaurants and lounges, conference rooms, concierge desk, valet, room service and bellman stations, etc. I love their tag line: UNIVERSAL MATCH. THE BRIGHT REMINDER.
If you're considering placing an order for your business' branded match books or match boxes please GoTo: TheMatchGroup or give us a call at 800.605.7331 and we'll provide the spark that will ignite your brand!
Old Advert. Torn From a Late '80's New York Magazine Featuring Matches from Famous Iconic NYC Night Clubs
Sorry for the old water stains and general tattiness of this old ad but I thought that I was obligated to share it with my fellow Phillumists!
This is an old advertisement for New York Magazine from the late '80's that featured matches from some of the most iconic nightclubs in NYC beginning with STUDIO 54 (1977), XENON (1978), MAGIQUE (1980), AREA (1981), PALLADIUM (1985), NELLS (1987) AND M.K.(1988).
Among the ones depicted in that ad, my favorites were AREA in Tribeca, PALLADIUM on East 14th St with it's famous private "invite only" celebrity packed Michael Todd Room and NELLS on West 14th street offering it's comfortable shabby chic old 'Victorian Library' theme. I experienced many unforgettable good times while attending each of those clubs, as well as many others at the time including The TUNNEL CLUB, The LIMELIGHT, CBGB's, MAX'S KANSAS CITY, THE ROOFTOP, SAVE THE ROBOTS and The PYRAMID CLUB in Alphabet City back when I was living in an apt in the '80's on Thompson St. in Greenwich Village.
In my opinion, the New York City of the '80's was the last era when NYC was the center of the nightclub universe; a period where one was able to experience the REAL unvarnished NYC club scene & live music without being forced to fork over $100-$200 for the privilege, a time when the City was a daily adventure (that was sometimes pretty scary) but I lived to tell the tale. It was the City that literally NEVER SLEPT! A time before the Bloomberg NYC of today that has sadly shed it's reputation as "FUN CITY".
Today's NYC sold it's soul by allowing itself to be dominated by the giant corporate footprints of a Starbucks on every corner, a GAP on every avenue, a "fill in the blank name" of every National Bank on every other corner that isn't a Starbucks, a Duane Reade/Walgreens, a "fill in the blank name"-Fast Food joint, and every national retail store stuffed into any available storefront that could be found inhabiting a mall in Anytown USA. The lack of today's diversity of locally unique NYC retail and entertainment venues is the sad result of skyrocketing rents offered by greedy landlords that only National & International corporations could afford.
Well, that's enough of my ranting for now....
If you would like to produce your business' very own iconic matches please check us out TheMatchGroup or call 800.605.7331
NEW YORK TIMES Magazine Article Who Made That? -Striking on the Modern Matchbook
Fun Match Fact: Who Invented the strike on cover match book?
"...Joshua Pusey, a lawyer and the inventor of the modern toboggan, patented a folded piece of cardboard carrying matches and a striker in 1892. .... legend suggests it had more to do with vanity than with safety. “I heard that he was a patent attorney and was always wearing suits and vests,” explains Mark Bean, President of the match division of New Hampshire’s D. D. Bean & Sons Company, which has been in the trade since 1938. “And that the box of wooden matches was bulky and awkward to carry around.”
Go to: TheMatchGroup to purchase your own custom branded advertising matches! 800.605.7331
NY Times Article 3/24/12 MATCHES AS MEMORIES
NY Times Article 3/24/12 MATCHES AS MEMORIES
A terrific mention in the Sunday Times Magazine "Matches as Memories"
"They were once ephemera -written on, burned up in the space of a weekend -but they're now a keepsake."
"In a way, they are the perfect hotel hotel souvenirs, and also the most anachronistic -having been left essentially unchanged since the bygone days of steamer trunks...."
CALL 800.605.7331 TheMatchGroup to order YOUR company's branded matches!