Top Client and Employee Appreciation Custom Gifts of the Year

Client and employee appreciation custom gifts are about more than checking a box. They are a unique and powerful marketing opportunity to recognize milestones, celebrate relationships, and make people, like VIP customers and hard working teams, feel genuinely valued. When done thoughtfully, corporate appreciation gifting becomes an effective way to reinforce connection, trust, and brand identity.

Each year, our team at Marigold & Grey has the privilege of designing custom client and employee appreciation gifts for companies across various industries from tech to real estate to venture capital to online gaming to professional sports and every field in between. These custom gift designs reflect each company’s unique culture, brand personality, and the intention behind the moment being celebrated, the hard work work being honored or the client loyalty being recognized, whether that is a major business win, a season of growth, or a meaningful partnership.

We are sharing some of the most standout and memorable custom designed client and employee appreciation gifts from the year. Each project highlights how intentional design, elevated (and branded!) gift contents, and thoughtful storytelling come together to create gifts that leave a lasting impression.

Let’s dive in and take a closer look at Marigold & Grey’s top client and employee appreciation gift custom designs of the year.

A History Making Season Deserved a One of a Kind Gift

For this post NFL season client appreciation project, the Washington Commanders asked us to elevate their customer gifting and surprise VIP season ticket holders with something truly unforgettable. The goal was to commemorate a historic season with a gift that felt meaningful, collectible, and worthy of the moment. (As lifelong Commanders fans, this was big for us at team M&G!)

We designed a sleek magnetic closure gift box finished with a custom branded belly band featuring the team’s logo. Inside each gift box, the centerpiece gift was a Waterford crystal football engraved with the word ‘HAIL,’ (a team rally that only true Commanders fans know!) a timeless keepsake designed to be proudly displayed.

Accompanying the crystal football was a custom illustrated trifold that visually captured the biggest moments of the team’s NFL season in a timeline format, allowing recipients to relive the journey and achievements.

Let’s take a look inside this elevated post season client appreciation gift designed to honor a year NFL Commanders fans will never forget…

See more of these custom VIP sponsor gifts for NFL's Washington Commanders.

Celebrating an IPO With Elevated and Playful Details

When Slide Insurance reached out to celebrate their milestone of going public, the goal was to design an employee appreciation gift that felt on brand, professional, and, most importantly, fun. The gift needed to feel celebratory while still maintaining a polished corporate aesthetic that met such a major moment for the company.

For this custom corporate gift design, we began with a magnetic closure keepsake gift box wrapped in a custom branded belly band with the company’s logo, setting the tone for what was inside. The gift contents were designed around celebration and shared moments, including mixology cubes for champagne, a custom branded bell as a playful nod to ringing the bell for their IPO launch, and a custom branded picture frame for a lasting keepsake. 

Champagne bubbles candy, artisan caramel popcorn, and a confetti popper added energy and excitement, while an etched branded stemless champagne flute completed the experience.

Let’s open up this IPO launch employee appreciation gift and see how celebration and branding came together seamlessly...

See more of these custom branded IPO launch celebration gifts.

Travel Inspired Employee Appreciation With Everyday Use

For MGIC, a mortgage insurance company, the goal was to create a useful and elevated custom employee appreciation gift inspired by travel and daily routines. The gift’s custom design leaned into a neutral color palette with subtle brand recognition to keep the look refined and versatile.

Each gift included a custom branded gift tag and personalized notecard from the company, followed by a carefully curated mix of functional gift items that could be enjoyed long after the gift was opened. 

A Dagne Dover brand toiletry bag anchored the gift, paired with power mist hand sanitizer, a foldable leather wireless charging stand, an S’well brand travel bottle set, and a mini portable sound machine. Every item was selected to support life on-the-go while still feeling thoughtful and intentional.

Let’s take a look inside this branded travel inspired custom employee appreciation gift designed for both workdays and weekends…

See more of corporate client appreciation custom gifts.

Two-Tier Summer Picnic Client Appreciation Gifts

PrizeShark asked us to design a custom client appreciation gift that felt fun, seasonal, and flexible, with two distinct gift tiers, or levels, built around a summer picnic theme. The goal was to celebrate top clients while allowing the team to thoughtfully differentiate gifting levels and have options in their gifting.

Both gifting tiers were built around a Polarbox branded cooler as the gifting vessel, instantly setting a playful and summery tone. The first tier gift included picnic essentials such as Tupperware brand snack containers, a card game, a quick dry compact towel, an insulated water bottle, and a custom branded notecard and tag. 

The second, or top, tier gift set  two elevated the experience with additional gift items including a Polaroid brand underwater camera with memory card, Bluetooth speaker, beach pillow, paddle set, sunscreen, and extra picnic essentials, all while maintaining a cohesive look and feel.

Let’s open up both tiers of these custom design summer picnic inspired client appreciation gifts and explore how flexible gifting can still feel unified and on-brand…

See more of custom employee corporate appreciation gifts.

Luxury Travel Inspired Client Gifts With a Refined Aesthetic

For Portal Innovations, a life science venture capital company, the goal was to curate an elevated travel inspired custom design client gift that would make a lasting impression. The design leaned into a black and neutral color palette with natural textures to create a sophisticated and on-brand experience.

The custom gift was presented in a keepsake pine box finished with a custom branded ribbon, gift tag, and personalized notecard from the company. Inside the gift box, recipients found a mix of premium and practical gift items including a three-in-one foldable wireless charging pad, custom branded golf balls with the company’s logo, an Aesop brand arrival travel kit, a dot.card digital business card, a Fellow Carter brand water bottle, and client-provided branded apparel and journals. Each element worked together to create a polished and thoughtful travel companion.

Let’s take a look inside this luxury travel inspired client appreciation gift designed to feel both elevated and useful...

See more custom corporate client appreciation gift designs.

Festive Halloween Themed Client Gifts With Two Distinct Gift Tiers

Yellow Social, a gaming platform, wanted to surprise their most loyal clients with a festive Halloween themed appreciation gift that doubled as a tablescape-in-a-box. With two gift tiers requested, the goal was to incorporate company colors while leaning fully into seasonal fun.

Both gift tiers included a custom gift tag and notecard with a message from the company, along with a spooky themed cocktail book, sour gummy skulls, golden skull cocktail picks, gourmet popcorn, checkered cocktail napkins, blood orange chocolate bars, caramel apple flavored cocktail cubes, pumpkin string lights, coupe glasses, and blood orange garnish. 

The second top tier gift set added elevated elements such as a jacquard spiderweb tablecloth, a spooky soy candle, and matches, creating a more immersive entertaining experience.

Let’s take a look inside these unique Halloween themed custom client appreciation gifts designed to bring the party to life...

See more unique custom corporate client appreciation gift designs.

Thoughtful Client Appreciation Gift Focused on Gratitude and Connection

For Dovetail, the goal was to create a client appreciation gift that expressed gratitude, trust, and long term partnership. The custom design focused on items that felt encouraging, useful, and personal.

Each gift included a custom branded gift tag and notecard from the business, unicorn gummy candy with a custom label, magnetic bookmarks, a mini faux succulent, French roast flavor single serve coffee packets, aromatherapy patches, pens, and a custom hardcover lined journal. Together, the contents created a gift that felt thoughtful and supportive, designed to be enjoyed over time.

Let’s open up this custom client appreciation gift designed to reinforce meaningful partnerships…

See more unique custom corporate client appreciation gift designs.

NFL Super Bowl Client Welcome Gifts With New Orleans Theme

For Allied Sports, the goal was to welcome clients to the NFL’s Super Bowl in New Orleans with a gift that captured local culture, luxury, and excitement. A bold color palette of purple, green, and gold guided the custom  design.

Each gift included a custom branded gift tag and notecard from the company, football whiskey cubes, New Orleans themed playing cards, a local travel and culture guide, a custom Super Bowl cookie, Bourbon Street snack mix, a gin smash cocktail kit, Mardi Gras beads, an engraved New Orleans tumbler, and beignet mix. The result was a gift that felt celebratory, location driven, and unforgettable.

Let’s take a look inside this Super Bowl client appreciation gift designed to kick off an iconic weekend…

See more of these custom NFL Super Bowl custom corporate sponsor thank you gifts.

Elevated Employee Appreciation With Shareable Comfort

Lightedge, an IT management company, asked us to create an employee appreciation gift that felt impressive, useful, and shareable with family or friends. The custom design incorporated their brand colors while focusing on comfort and experience.

The custom gift centered around a Yeti Hopper Flip cooler and included a custom branded gift tag and notecard, S’well brand tumblers, a Carhartt brand knit beanie, a bluetooth speaker, a Yeti waterproof gear case, and a plaid ChappyWrap blanket. Together, the items created a gift that encouraged downtime and connection.

Let’s open up this employee appreciation gift designed to be enjoyed well beyond the workplace…

See more branded corporate employee appreciation custom gift designs.

Polished and Luxurious Client Appreciation Gifts

For Tax Alchemy, the goal was to design a polished and memorable client appreciation gift that felt luxurious while remaining practical and on brand. The custom gift design result was a refined and indulgent gift designed to leave a lasting impression for the business.

Each gift included a custom branded gift tag and notecard from the company, stainless steel black and gold coasters, black matches, a Diptyque brand candle, champagne wine flavored gummy candy, gold rimmed glasses, a brushed gold candle snuffer, and a herringbone ChappyWrap brand blanket. 

Let’s take a look inside this elevated custom client appreciation gift designed with luxury in mind…

See more corporate client thank you custom gift designs.

A Year of Thoughtful Client and Employee Appreciation Gifting

Each of these custom client and employee appreciation gifts highlights how intentional design and thoughtful curation can transform appreciation into something meaningful for recipients and your company’s brand. From milestone celebrations to seasonal surprises, this year’s top custom gift designs show what is possible when branding, storytelling, and experience come together.

At Marigold & Grey, we specialize in custom corporate gifting designed to reflect your company’s values and the relationships you want to celebrate whether that’s with your hard working teams and dedicated employees, or loyal customers and VIP clients. If you are looking to create client or employee appreciation gifts that stand out, our custom gift design team would love to help bring your vision to life.

Get in touch with our gifting experts to begin designing an appreciation gift experience your recipients will remember long after it is received.

For more inspiration, be sure to check out our custom client appreciation gift gallery as well as our custom employee appreciation gift gallery to see all of the unique and branded ways that businesses used gifting as a unique marketing opportunity.

Happy appreciation gifting!

3 WAYS TO DO GIFTING WITH MARIGOLD & GREY

When it comes to corporate gifting, gifts for your business, or gifts for your company's employees, clients or events, there are three unique ways to gift with Marigold & Grey.

#1: Custom Gift Design Service

If you're interested in elevated branded gifts for your company for employee appreciation, holiday or any corporate event in between, please get in touch with us to ask about our custom corporate gift design services. We'd love to work with you or your team to create something that reflects your company's brand with limitless options for customization to include branding the packaging, gift contents, printed collateral, and more. 

#2: Add-Your-Own-Logo Program (i.e. Semi-Custom Gifts)

In addition to custom gift design, we also offer a thoughtful semi-custom gift design program with low order minimums and your company's logo and brand on each gift you send. Our Add-Your-Own-Logo Program is perfect for businesses that want to send company branded gifts either all at once for an event or particular marketing campaign OR throughout the year, on demand as you need them, for special occasions like employee appreciation, birthdays, client thank-you gifts, and more.

#3: Ready-to-Ship Collection in our Online Shop

For curated gift sets and themed gift baskets that are easy to send for any occasion in life or work, don't forget to shop our curated collection of ready-to-ship gift boxes with quick turnarounds and no order minimums. These ship out within 1-3 business days; rush next-day shipping is also available at checkout.

Images: Lissa Ryan Photography and Elis Llinares Photography