First of all, (for those of you who don’t know yet!), A key ring is a useful item attached to a set of keys to provide a better grip and ease of identification, or to act as a personal statement! An American man named G Herluf Johnson from Oregon invented keychains in 1922. The patent was issued for a keychain that was extremely simple to mass-produce and extremely practical, as once the keys were added to the keychain, they would never fall off! !
Not long after the invention of the keychain, people began adding other useful accessories to keychains in addition to their keys – the keychain was born. Although the true origin of the word ‘fob’ is unknown, certain studies show that the word may be linked to the German word ‘fuppe’ which means ‘pocket’. Some believe the word originated from watch keyrings (an ornament attached to the pocket watch chain), which existed as early as 1888. These days, we use the word keychain to describe a variety of items, including keyrings, car starters, garage door openers and keyless entry devices.
In the 1950s and 1960s, with the improvement of plastic manufacturing techniques, promotional keyrings became more and more unique. Businesses can put their names on promotional 3D keyrings for a fraction of the price of standard metal keyrings. Keychains vary considerably in size, style, and functionality. They are usually simple, small, and made of smooth metal or plastic. They help you avoid a fruitless search in your pockets or purse to find a single key, because the key ring, with its smooth ergonomic design, is always easy to locate and always easy to grip.
You may think that all keychains are simply cosmetic, but this is not always the case. They are often made to function as small tools such as compasses, calculators, flashlights, pocket knives, bottle openers, security tokens, discount cards, and USB flash drives. A typical keychain will display a short message or logo linked to a group’s affiliation. These messages are well thought out and are an effective way to reach your target markets.
As electronic technology continues to get smaller and cheaper, miniature keychain versions of previously larger devices are becoming increasingly popular. Today’s keychain is no longer just a piece of plastic with a little message. Now digital photo frames, simple video games, USB flash drives, and keyless entry systems dominate the world of key fobs!
Even in recent years, remote key fob technologies have come a long way. Take, for example, the first electric key fobs for remotely unlocking cars. Using infrared technology, they required a clear line of sight to function, and at the time, they could be easily duplicated with a programmable remote that allowed thieves to easily enter your locked vehicle. Recent models now use radio frequencies, which are more difficult to copy and do not need line of sight to function. Believe it or not, modern car key rings can sometimes be mistaken for weapons. Nathan Rau, the proud owner of a 2003 Audi A4 found out about this in April 2006, when he was arrested for possession of a concealed weapon – the police mistook his car keys for a switchblade!
Keychains are small and inexpensive enough to become efficient promotional items for large companies and businesses to hand out by the millions. Keyrings are not keyrings that possibly tell stories from a person’s life – what stores they shop at, what cars they drive, what companies / charities they support, and what kind of person they are – organized, messy, clean, or dirty!
