I wonder how long until the common promotional pens we see at tradeshows become mini-computers like the Livescribe Pulse Smart Pen? Hopefully soon…

Advertisers working for Faber Castell, makers of highlighters, came up with a clever idea for positioning their product where the market was greatest - on college campuses. Because a lot of college students ride bicycles, even at night, and don’t necessarily take safety precautions, Faber Castell combined their ad campaign with a safety campaign to make a winning promotion. They distributed reflective jackets - accompanied by a highlighter with the same bright yellow color ink - to students, and watched with pleasure as the cyclists drove all over town with the Faber Castell brand on their backs.

[via DirectDaily]

This pen is the best thing to happen to note-taking since the laptop. You can scribble away to your heart’s content, either in a notebook or over and over on the same sheet of paper should you run out of physical space, and all your written data automatically is recorded on the accompanying USB device. Through handwriting recognition software, your writing is translated into text that can be read by any word processing program, allowing you to edit, save, print a (legible) copy of the notes, and so on. The device also stores non-text files like any other USB flash drive, and - unlike a laptop - fits in your pocket.

[via Gadgettastic]

This high-tech pen is apparently capable of replicating any color found in nature, as long as you can scan it. The pen has an sensor at one end that signals the red, green, and blue inks inside to mix in the desired proportions to create the color, and then you’re free to draw with it to your heart’s content. This is a pretty amazing idea - as far as I can see it’s still in the concept stages, because to replicate all ink colors it would need the same cyan, magenta, yellow, and black inks as a printer - but I’d love to get my hands on one of these if they ever see production! No more misplacing my favorite color markers…

[via Toxel]

Anyone who’s ever tried to record a burst of inspiration in the absence of paper is familiar with the problems inherent in writing on your hand. We wash our hands frequently (at least, I hope you do!), or we sweat, or we come into contact with other materials that smudge the fruits of our genius. What if you could write something on your hand and have it stay put until you got a chance to transfer it to your notebook or computer?

The “Pen Sprayer” concept was thus born at the Yanko Design blog, and what a concept it is! This pen sprays a material that creates a matte writing surface - whether it’s on your hand or on any other non-porous material, like plastic, that would otherwise be difficult to use a pen on. Then, you’re free to write your message, and it peels off with no mess like any other plastic film. I’m frequently caught without a notebook, and one of these pens would be great to have around - especially since they conveniently clip onto a pocket or a belt loop for easy access at all times!

Few would argue against the fact that the healthcare industry suffers from promotional pen overload. Every drug manufacturer on the planet has flooded hospitals and doctors’ offices with branded writing instruments in the hope that someone will happen to be writing a prescription and see their name, and even hospitals themselves are often drowning in their own pens as nurses and doctors leave them places and lose them, considering them disposable. What if these pens were a little more permanent?

Exhibit A: These hilarious syringe pens, which might look threatening at first but are really just an eye-catching way to stand out from the ballpoint-stick crowd. Doctors and nurses are a lot less likely to leave these lying around in case a patient (or hospital worker!) mistakes them for the real thing, and they’re sure to draw comments whenever you pull one out of a purse or a pocket - especially at an industry event like a conference or a trade show.

The quill pens used centuries ago were beautiful writing instruments, and their impressive plumes lent an air of dignity to any document written with them. Unfortunately, they were also extremely messy, and those same documents were perpetually splattered with stray blobs of ink that flew off the quill as it traveled from the inkwell to the paper.

Rejoice, modern quill pen enthusiasts - no longer must you tape ostrich feathers to your Bics in the office! Swedish designer Gustav Innovation have updated the feather pen for the modern age, bringing us the Fjader - a writing instrument that combines the lightness and elegance of a quill with the ergonomic feel and convenience (hello, ballpoint?) of modern pen technology. The pen comes with a display stand, too, so everyone in your office can marvel at your good taste

For the office-supply rock star in all of us, these guitar-shaped novelty pens will definitely bring a smile to anyone’s face. These would be perfect for promoting a musical instrument store or a place that sells music-related equipment. Even a CD store with a focus on rock or metal would do well to give these away to their customers - anyone who sees one of these is definitely going to pick it up to see where it’s from!

It’s an established fact that adults have far too little exposure to crayons. Once we reach a certain age, we’re supposed to jettison the Crayolas for pens and pencils, with maybe a highlighter here and there if we’re lucky.

Even when we make it to the top of the corporate ladder, and get to refer to our ink-bearers as Writing Instruments, we’re still estranged from the crayons of our childhood. That is, until the Executive Crayon Pen came along. Sure, it’s still a ballpoint pen - twist the end and the tip comes out of the crayon’s false “tip” - but there’s something to be said for signing all your important documents with what looks like a giant Crayola. This novelty pen will definitely bring a few smiles to your desktop. Plus, it comes with its own carrying case, which doubles as a posh executive pen stand when not in use!

[via Perpetual Kid]

The G2 is a retractable gel ink pen that’s almost entirely smudge free. The ink is pitch black and it can write in teeny tiny letters if you’re one of those people who makes annotations in book margins (I’m one of those people!). Plus, it comes in a variety of colors now if you prefer blue (or red) pens.

Best of all- you can get promotional G2s. That is, in a nutshell, what makes it the perfect pen.