We Ran a Product Launch on a $500 Budget. Here's What We Ordered.
Last month a client came to us three weeks before their product launch. They had a tight budget, a team of 20, and a venue that needed to look like they spent ten times what they actually did.
Here's exactly what we put together for them.
## The brief
They were launching a new SaaS tool at a small industry event. Nothing huge — maybe 150 attendees over two days. They wanted their team to look polished, their booth to look professional, and something to hand out that wasn't going to end up in the trash.
## What we ordered
**For the team:** 25 custom t-shirts in their brand navy. Nothing fancy — just a clean one-color logo on the front. The whole team wore them both days and honestly, it made a bigger difference than I expected. When you see a group of people in matching shirts at an event, you notice them.
**For the booth:** One large vinyl banner for the back wall. We went with 13oz standard because it photographs well and holds up if you reuse it. They've since used it at three more events.
**For giveaways:** 100 custom sticker sheets. These were honestly the surprise hit. People stuck them on laptops, water bottles, notebooks. It's the kind of thing that keeps your brand visible for months after the event.
## What it cost
The whole order came in around $480. That's for a team that looked like they belonged there, a booth that didn't look thrown together, and 100 people walking out with your brand in their bag.
## What I'd do differently
If they'd had another $200, I would have added tote bags. People carry them around the event floor and it's basically a walking billboard for the rest of the day.
The other thing — [get your artwork ready early](/artwork-guidelines). We had to rush the banner because the logo file came in low-res on a Monday and the event was Saturday. It worked out, but don't put yourself through that.
## The point
You don't need a massive budget to brand an event well. You need the right pieces in the right places. A small set of well-chosen items beats a pile of cheap stuff every time.
If you're planning something similar, [drop us a line](/contact). We'll help you figure out what makes sense for your budget.