One of the ways they do that is by giving stuff away.

Call it “show swag” for lack of a proper name.

Standard items include pens, pencils, notebooks, can coolers, cups, and other useful things like hats.

Each, of course, emblazened with the company’s name and logo. That is, after all, the point.

-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen
Fort Dodge Police school resource officer Joelyn Johnson shows off her excellent sense of humor Friday with two pieces of swag from the Iowa Central Community College Career Services Career Fair.

Some employers though, rise to the occasion and go above and beyond the call of duty. These vendors provide things that are fun, odd, interesting, weird, memorable and occasionally, edible.

In the interest of science, using a free Messenger bag, a sampling of the fun and interesting was collected by our staff for research purposes.

The fine folks at Pengo contributed a miniature basketball hoop complete with backboard and bright orange ball. It features suction cups to attach it to a dry erase board.

Barilla Foods provided an ingredient for a future meal, a full package of linguine that promises “Al Dente” perfection in 10 to 11 minutes. They sent the noodles with a plastic spaghetti measuring device that also doubles as a spaghetti fork.

One of the more unusual items came from Advance Door Systems in Forest City. It’s a small fan that folds up by twisting it, then pushing it into a plastic holder. It’s patriotic too. It has a U.S. flag on the fan.

Chief Builders provided a miniature waste basket with a spring loaded lid. Suitable for all manner of candy wrappers and bent paper clips, it’s a nice desk accessory.

Many vendors had foam stress balls. Holland Contracting’s is a yellow hard hat, Daybreak Foods provided an egg. Valero Renewables, a tiny football, Iowa Specialty Hospitals and Clinics, a globe. CJ Bio America also had a slightly larger football (for really stressful days) and Barilla Foods, a fairly realistic rock with “Pasta Rocks.” printed on it. A sunshade wearing pink pig from Liguria Foods featured the logo “Pepperoni is our passion.”

Buena Vista University had its beaver mascot who is holding his arms so it looks like he’s begging not to be squeezed.

Two pens really stuck out among the many. a Valero Renewables corn cob pen and a space ship looking one from Koch Energy that automatically unfolds when a button is pushed. Both were tested and write well.

Several of the items are unlikely to ever be lost. Hy-Capacity had a small golf towel and Cargill a small drawstring back pack, both in high wattage safety orange.

Centrum Farms had a nice little cooler sized to hold a six pack of one’s favorite beverage or perhaps a sandwich.

A few other oddities included a coaster that looks like a blob of spilled paint, several flying disc toys, playing cards and a combination tape measure/level/pen and yes, tiny pad of adhesive notes holder.

For those with stinky cars, Cactus Family Farms had a pig portrait air freshener as well as a pink pen with a rubber pig on the end that lights up when you write with it.

The air freshener, unfortunately, isn’t bacon scented.