Why These 11 Brands Chose Custom Playing Cards Over Pens
Pens, tote bags, and keychains are done to death. And modern businesses are realizing that. They're moving to gifts that connect with customers and employees instead of ending up in a drawer.
Custom playing cards for businesses are one product that is consistently standing out across industries.
Why? Because:
People play with it.
It carries your brand.
It gets used for a long time.
Every time a deck of cards is shuffled, dealt, or played with, your branding shows up again, right there on the table.
How does this play out in reality? Let's look at some popular brands across different industries that have successfully put this to work.
1. Corporate IT Companies
Custom playing cards for business helped Microsoft 365 Copilot turn IT training into something people actually used.Source: Gumtoo.
If you're a marketing or IT expert trying to get your team to use a new AI tool, we're sure you would've run into the same wall every time: building another slide deck or feature document that gets skimmed once and forgotten.
The silver lining is that you're not alone. Even giants likeMicrosoft have been there.
So, Microsoft 365 Copilot took a different approach. They built a custom playing card deck for their IT team that was handed out to partners and potential customers at a trade show.
Every card came with a real, usable Copilot prompt. For example, one card asks, "Can you create a table with all the open items based on the discussion in the chat?"
This is one of our favorite examples of corporate playing cards Singapore has seen recently. Instead of telling people what Copilot can do, the deck cleverly hands them a hundred ways to try it themselves.
Here’s what we really find interesting about Microsoft’s project. Source: Youtube.
But as fun and usable as it is, card stock and finish matter just as much here. We ensured the deck holds up to real use and doesn't just look good in photos.
2. NFT
Nokko sells NFTs. They wanted their owners to have something physical to go along with the digital collectible. So, they approached Gumtoo with a rough idea of what they wanted.
Our designer took that idea from the initial sketch all the way to final print, building a fully custom deck.
Nokko's NFT community got custom playing cards for business, designed to match their brand from sketch to print. Source: Gumtoo.
Every design choice, from color to layout, was made to feel true to Nokko's brand. And that's exactly the point of branded playing cards corporate gift projects like this. The end result was a set of quirky, shuffleable cards that gave Nokko's NFT owners something they could actually hold.
Gumtoo shows the details behind how we designed the NFT characters on the cards. Source: Youtube.
3. Blockchain
For the blockchain industry, let's look at Tezos, that wanted custom playing cards for an event - the WebX 2025 in Tokyo. We built these cards around a Kuji-style prize draw, which is a Japanese lottery format where everyone walks away with something. However, no one knows what they've won until the actual draw.
To earn a draw, attendees had to complete actions that grew Tezos's community. These included:
Taking a photo at the Sogni Photobooth
Sharing it on X while tagging Tezos
Scanning a QR code to join the Tezos Breakfast Club
Following Tezos's social accounts:
Soon enough, Tezos dropped the news on their X account for their attendees and followers to see how to get in on it- making the experience a whole lot more achievement-based. Source: X
The prizes came in tiers. They had stickers at the bottom, so no one left empty-handed. The playing cards were in the middle. And at the top, there was a Great Wave-inspired LEGO wall art piece.
Since the cards were a mid-tier prize, we had to ensure they didn't feel like a runner-up gift. So, we carefully selected the card stock, finish, and packaging. They also designed two distinct Japanese-inspired card sets to make the blind box format work.
Tezos used custom playing cards for business as a mid-tier Kuji-style prize at WebX 2025 Tokyo. Source: Gumtoo.
The cards were a hit. But the bigger takeaway is that elevating the details turned a simple merch item into a trophy people want to show off and share online.
4. Consumer Goods
Harry's opted for a custom playing cards deck as a Lunar New Year gift-with-purchase campaign. The timing couldn't have been better with family reunions, gatherings, and the tradition of giving gifts. Customers who spent a minimum of $88 received a sure-win scratch card.
Harry’s Customers walked out with gift-with-purchase along with dining courchers from S$88 to S$888. Source: Instagram.
The prizes were worth up to $140,000, including:
Up to $888 in Harry's dining vouchers
A limited-edition poker card set
Limited-edition red packets
They designed the poker card set with a Lunar New Year theme, in line with the campaign's prize lineup.
We especially love this as it is a good example of what a personalized deck of cards for company campaigns can do beyond the purchase. The deck worked as both a collectible and something customers could use after the campaign ended.
Harry's Lunar New Year campaign gave shoppers custom playing cards for business as a collectible gift-with-purchase. Source: Gumtoo
5. Educational Institutes
Think custom playing cards are just for businesses? This example will surprise you.
Gumtoo built a custom playing card deck for an international school, tied to their AP African American Studies curriculum. It's called "Freedom's Hand," with box art built around an African continent motif.
An international school swapped worksheets for custom playing cards for business, featuring African American history icons. Source: Gumtoo
Instead of standard suits, every card features a historical figure from African American history. For example, the card for Gwendolyn Brooks notes that she was the first African American to win a Pulitzer Prize for poetry.
Another thing that makes the deck stand out is how it's being used. A teacher takes the deck to the classroom, turning a boring subject into something students can engage with hands-on.
It goes to show that merch can go beyond branding and work as a learning tool too.
Gumtoo explains what we find unique about an educational institute that gave out special playing cards. Source: Youtube.
6. Food Restaurant
Khao Hom used custom playing cards as a Chinese New Year promotion, pairing a meal with a takeaway gift. Customers who dined in during the CNY season got a free custom deck of poker cards.
The idea behind the campaign? That fun doesn't have to end when the meal does.
Khao Hom's Chinese New Year diners took home custom playing cards for business as a festive keepsake. Source: Gumtoo.
They designed the cards with a CNY theme. The cards had a red horse motif on the back, and the box packaging matched Khao Hom's red and gold color scheme.
It's a good example of what a personalized deck of cards for company promotions can do beyond a single meal. The deck works as a festive giveaway in the moment, but it's also something diners keep and reuse well after they've left the table.
Khao Hom cracked the code for Chinese New Year on the year of the horse campaign with these after-dinner playing cards that families enjoy the most. Source: Instagram
7. IT departments at Airlines
Singapore Airlines wanted something as a door gift for the IT department. The deck was branded TechSQ to tie it to the department instead of the airline as a whole. This simple branding made it feel less like generic company swag and more like something built just for that team.
Singapore Airlines' IT team received custom playing cards for business under the TechSQ brand, hand-painted by a local artist. Source: Gumtoo.
The cards feature important local landmarks and cultural symbols, including durian fruit. All of the artwork was hand-painted by a local artist to ensure every card carries a bit more character than a typical printed design.
The deck perfectly blends company culture and local identity into a gift that employees would want to hold onto and use.
8. Logistics and Management
GXO created a custom playing cards deck as a client appreciation gift. The deck carried the tagline, "Logistics at full potential" throughout, reinforcing the company's own branding aesthetic.
GXO's client appreciation gift used custom playing cards for business printed with their own facility photography. Source: Gumtoo.
Instead of generic images, the cards feature photographic prints of GXO's digitized warehouse facilities and automated industrial sorting arms. This was a simple yet clever way to turn the company's operations into the deck's visual identity. A person flipping through the deck can take a look and immediately understand what GXO does.
In fact, we believe the format works well beyond client gifting as well. For example, you can also use it for employee and partner giveaways to give the recipient something tangible that reflects your brand's operations.
9. Community
Friendzone distributes and sells custom playing card decks at community networking events, university orientations, youth pop-up festivals, and through retail partnerships. The idea is to not just give out merch, but to also spark peer relationships using the deck as a hybrid poker and conversation game.
The deck is called "Sometimes Life's Good" and blends classic poker with prompts that celebrate everyday wins and small moments of joy. It has 54 poker cards with uplifting prompts, 2 wild cards for feel-good dares, and a playing guide to get you started.
Friendzone's "Sometimes Life's Good" custom playing cards for business double as a hybrid poker and icebreaker game. Source: Gumtoo.
Each of the four suits leans into a different theme:
Hearts cover love and relationships.
Spades focus on everyday comforts.
Clubs focus on growth and perspective shifts.
Diamonds celebrate proud moments and wins.
The deck is perfect for birthdays, farewells, icebreakers, or simply a way to sit back and reflect on the highs and lows.
10. Non-Profit Community
Woodlands Social Centre used custom playing cards created by Gumtoo as screen-free toolkits during family workshops, social service outreach programs, and community wellness events. They designed two decks: "My Family Lah!" and "Talk Feelings, Capy Style!"
Woodlands Social Centre used custom playing cards for business as screen-free toolkits for family workshops.. Source: Gumtoo.
Both decks feature custom-printed tuck boxes and illustrated characters, including a capybara used to represent different emotions. Instead of a screen or a worksheet, families and young children get a deck they can hold, shuffle, and play with together.
The format not only encourages kids to express emotions, but also helps families build deeper connections without relying on a screen.
11. Finance
Finally, from the finance industry, we have BizCap, that used custom playing cards as icebreakers at networking events for sponsors and prospective clients. They designed it with a blue and white pattern with a bold border for a classic, high-end card deck look.
BizCap swapped brochures for custom playing cards for business at sponsor and client networking events. Source: Gumtoo.
Instead of a standard business card or brochure, the deck gives people something to physically hold and use at the event. It's a simple way to turn a quick introduction into an activity, which tends to stick with people longer.
Here’s What To Do Next
As you saw, a custom deck of cards can be used across different industries and for purposes beyond just marketing. But customization doesn't just stop at the artwork on the front. You also need to nail the physical aspects like the card stock, the core, and the finish used on top. Those choices decide whether a deck holds up to being shuffled, handled, and reused, or falls apart after a few uses.
That's the common connection between every example in this guide.
None of these brands gave out generic, blank decks with a logo stuck on and standard card stock. The design changes every time, and so does the build behind it, whether it's a tradeshow giveaway or a premium client gift.
Gumtoo builds decks with both of these in mind from the start.
FAQs
1.What is the cost of custom playing cards?
The standard cost of custom playing cards for a minimum order quantity of 250 sets is S$4.90 per set.
2. What is minimum order quantity for custom playing cards?
The minimum order is 250 decks per identical design. If you need two different designs, each requires its own minimum of 250 decks — we're unable to split quantities across multiple designs.
3. I am on budget, and want to do a giveaway at the tradeshow. Do you do economical playing cards?
For budget-friendly giveaways, we’d recommend art paper cards at 250 GSM — the lighter end of the art paper range Gumtoo offers, and the MOQ here is 250 sets. You can pair it with a BOPP wrap or a standard tuck box for packaging, both of which keep costs down without the deck feeling flimsy. This combination works well for trade shows and events where you're handing out volume rather than a single premium piece
4. I want premium quality cards to give to my customers. What do you recommend?
For a gift that's meant to feel special, you can opt for 350 GSM art paper — the premium thickness in that material range — or step up to PVC, which is a sturdier, different material altogether built for durability (MOQ 500 sets). We’d recommend packing it in a lid-and-bottom box rather than a tuck box or BOPP wrap, since it gives the deck a more considered, gift-worthy presentation. This is the combination worth recommending for client appreciation gifts or anything meant to be kept and reused.
5. What's the turnaround time for a custom playing card order?
Standard production takes 18 days after your design proof is confirmed. If you have a deadline to hit, let us know upfront — rush delivery options may be available.
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