In the fall of 2011, at the USC season-opening football game, Sterling Wilson made an observation. The crowd of 100,000 adoring USC Trojan fans was decked out in team hoodies, hats, and coozies, but no sunglasses. Where were the sunglasses?

With this observation, an upcoming rent bill, and a heavy dose of entrepreneurial spirit, Sterling found a factory in China to manufacture 2,000 pairs of sunglasses in his college’s Pantone colors and sold through them in three days at USC football tailgates. Partnering with high school friend Erin Reilly, the duo expanded to dozens of schools that fall and an observation became a business.

After graduating from College in 2012, Sterling and Erin decided to set up shop in Philadelphia, transforming the living room of their South Philly rowhome into an office. As the business grew in 2013, the two moved into their first office space and hired their first employees. Five years after that fateful USC Football game, Pop! Promos moved into its 3rd office space; a converted warehouse with an open floor plan housing 30 team members and a product line of PMS Matched wearable accessories.

Pop! Promos’ rapid growth earned it the title of the #1 fastest growing company in Philadelphia and the #135 spot on the INC 500 list. Pop! Promos’ growth and success has been driven by a desire to do things differently; Pantone matching all products, making everything from scratch, and treating every customer like a VIP with our dedicated team of PopStars!

Look out for more industry-leading innovation from Pop! Promos as we push into new product categories, continue to shorten delivery times on your favorite products and continue to streamline the design and delivery process.