Product Hub January 26, 2026
Owala Finishes as Fastest-Growing ESP Search Term for Second Year in a Row
Pens and other classic categories continued to dominate the total ESP search rankings throughout 2025 while wellness and seasonal items surged.
Key Takeaways
• ESP searches for drinkware brand “Stanley” slid sharply in 2025 (down about 50% for the year), falling below fast-rising Owala, which surged again as the top-growing ESP search term for the year (+60%).
• Seasonal and wellness trends drove big swings: Searches spiked for “fans” (+36%) and “Halloween” (+24%), while interest shifted from “fidget spinners” (-46%) to broader “fidget” items (+29%) and other wellness products like “eye masks” (+35%).
• Staple categories remained dominant in the Top 10 ESP searches for the year, with “pens” leading the way again.
The era of the Stanley cup is officially over – according to the latest ESP data for 2025 from ASI Research.
Numbers for Q4 and 2025 found that searches for the popular drinkware brand and its 40-ounce Quencher tumbler dropped by half throughout the year to fall well-below trendy pastel water bottle brand Owala in the search rankings by the close of 2025.
“Owala,” was the top-growing search term for the second year in a row, up 60% even with the brand’s more monumental spike in 2024. It also was the top-growing search term for three of four quarters in 2025, superseded only by a few warm weather items like “folding fans” in the heat of summer.
Record hot temperatures over the summer caused searches for “fans” to spike 36% throughout the year – and that momentum continued into even the fourth quarter, when it was up 34% compared to Q4 2024.
On another seasonal note, searches for “Halloween” were also up 24% on the year compared to 2024 as companies embraced “Summerween” and spooky season even earlier than normal.
Searches for “fidget spinner” were down 46% on the year, illustrating that the resurgence of the spinning toy has waned – but searches for just “fidget” were up 29%. It’s indicative of a shift in the fidget space away from strictly the spinners to other forms, such as fidget cubes, pop its and pens.
Coupled with other increased searches – namely “eye mask,” which was up 35% – the popularity of these items shows the continued importance of wellness-themed initiatives in the promo space.
On the opposite end, “plastic cups” (down 73%), “drawstring backpack” (down 54%) and “silicone wristbands” (down 40%) were among the top ESP searches in 2025 with the largest declines compared to 2024, alongside “Stanley” and “fidget spinner.”
Classic categories continued to dominate the top of the list for total searches amid a tumultuous year for promo. “Pens” maintained its #1 spot on the rankings, followed by staple products like “water bottles,” “tote bags” and “tumblers.”
Searches for “YETI,” “umbrella,” and “blanket,” meanwhile, spiked into the top 10 for the fourth quarter specifically as companies prepared for end-of-year gifting initiatives and other cozy projects.
In Q1, suppliers should expect early interest in warm weather items like beach towels and sunglasses to ramp up, as well as added demand for items like cooling towels and golf balls, particularly to serve the golf market and nonprofit sector as charity tournament season approaches.
Product Hub
Find the latest in quality products, must-know trends and fresh ideas for upcoming end-buyer campaigns.