Custom Floating Action Pens

With a brief cursory glance it may seem like “just” a pen. Sure, writing utensils are useful. And important. But how can a pen be more than just a pen? The answer, of course, is that it can be engaging… animated, fun and surprising.

This is a lot to ask of any item, but these are all the features of our custom designed floating pens. And the benefits? For your sales and marketing staff, they have an easy conversation starter at trade shows and on sales calls. And for your clients and prospects, they now have a new favorite pen - which also keeps your brand and messaging at the top of their minds, even when your clients are busy using their new favorite pens to write messages of their own.

How it Works

A dynamic, moving world is created inside your ballpoint pen! There are a several common applications for the floating action pen:

Traditional Floating Action Pen – the traditional pen contains a liquid-filled chamber where the motion takes place. Small floating pane(s) inside the pen are decorated with graphic designs. Tipping the pen causes the panes to float up and down the pen’s length, creating an animation, or "penimation" over and over again.

Tip & Strip Pen, aka the Stripper Pen or Conceal & Reveal Pen – this titillating twist on the classic design shows a man or woman dressed in black. Tipping the pen causes the clothing on the character to gradually disappear – revealing a partially clad or nude figure behind. This feature can be used to show many types of items or characters that magically appear or disappear on the side of the pen as you tip it from side to side.

Floaty Pen – light and dynamic floating contents are inserted into the water chamber and allowed to float around as they wish. Functioning like a snow globe, a shake or two puts the settled contents into motion.

History of Floaty Pens

In the 1950s, Esso (now Exxon Mobil) approached Peder Eskesen, a one-time baker and the owner of a small acrylic factory in Denmark. Eskesen had been working on a pen that contained mineral oil, and Esso wanted to have an original ballpoint pen made with a small oil drum floating in oil. Buoyed by this first floating success, in the decades that followed Eskesen produced numerous corporate and tourist souvenir floaty pens. A later standout invention was the famous (or infamous) tip ‘n strip pen. Long a staple of dorm rooms and source for teenage snickering, these x-rated pens featured scantily clad female or male strippers whose black-colored underwear vanish completely with a simple tip of the pen. Of course, the mechanism behind these conceal & reveal pens have also been put to good use with other, less controversial corporate messages.

Custom Floaty Pens

Together we can create your very own unique version of this . We can help bring to life an idea you already have or we can help spark your creativity by providing strategically chosen concepts. It's up to you!

Floaty Pens > Your Clients’ Favorite Pens

Favorite pens are used everyday by their protective owners, get noticed by on-lookers, and are refilled - not tossed! We'd like to create your client's next favorite pen - one that embodies your brand, your message and culture.

Custom floating action pens are a blank canvas for revealing your message in a surprising and animated way. Floating pens are most valuable when designed with your audience in mind, following your branding guidelines. This way, your audience will keep the pen, claim it as their favorite and help your message be top of mind.

Some of our clients approach us with completed designs, or we design the artwork with your direction. Here's what we'll ask for your help with:

up-to-date information and files for your company's campaigns and branding guidelines.
your ideas, creative reference materials and imagery, feedback and approvals.

Together we'll decide on the best way to make your new pen into everyone's favorite pen.

Concept and Design

Floaty pens are chosen for their playfulness, fun, and interaction; we recommend that the concept and message behind the pen be inspired by one of these qualities. Recipients will be excited to tip the pen & see what story it has to tell - it's important not to disappoint! An unusual is best suited to an unusual design.

Every layer of the pen (Background, foreground, and floating panels) is a blank canvas, ready to be designed and decorated to create an interaction and a story. The pen, as a dynamic branding piece, should tell a story with energy & transition.

To help with brainstorming, we recommend looking at the story in terms of:

Before > After
In > Out
On > Off
Left > Right
Top > Bottom
Full > Empty
Stop > Go
Past > Present > Future

Whether you’re fresh out of ideas, or have ideas galore, we’d love for you to contact us and together we’ll help identify the best way to communicate your message.

Custom Pen Shapes

Subtle changes to the clip and barrel shape can change the look of your pen dramatically. Let us know which style you prefer. If a pen's not the right fit, but you like the floating action it embodies, contact us about the other kinds of floating action items we can design for you.

Floaty Pen Materials

Floating action pens are normally made with plastic barrels, with blue or blue ink refills. The barrels are available in a variety of colors, including transparent colors, glossy or matte tones, or metallic shades. The plastic can be matched to your pantone for very large orders.

The transparent portion of the pen has clear, plastic walls and contains liquid. Special contents can be added to the liquid inside the pen to make your miniature pen world even more captivating, customized, and dynamic.

Packaging

Your pens can be bulk packed, or encased in custom packaging. Popular packaging includes custom gift boxes, clamshells, blister cards and POP stands. Learn more about custom <packaging> for items of all kinds or contact us with your ideas.

Project Timelines

It takes about 3 months to design, prototype and deliver custom designed floating action pens. In some situations we're able to deliver pens under tighter time lines. Please contact us and let us know your ideal delivery date.

Off the Wall Pen Ideas

If it’s a creative pen project that has strange requirements, give us a ring – we like challenges and we’ll see what we can do.

Float Pen Order Quantity and Pricing

We're able to produce as few as 5000 pens per production run. Contact us with your ideal budget and together we'll decide the best pen, design, options, and packaging for you and your campaign.