Coasters are not just a simple piece of cardboard on which you place your drink. They fulfill several important functions, the relevance of which should not be underestimated.

Moreover, coasters can be designed and printed in different ways. For this reason, they are also used as advertising media.

These design options also have the effect that there are many different coasters on the market. This in turn awakens the passion for collecting in some people.

You see, coasters made of cardboard are very versatile. We have therefore taken a closer look at them.

For starters: history and function of the coaster

Surely you know coasters made of cardboard in your capacity as a consumer and pub patron. Here they serve as coasters for beer glasses, but also for vessels with other beverages. But how long have coasters actually been around?

History of the coaster

Originally, coasters were made of ceramic and resembled the coaster of a coffee or tea cup rather than the small piece of cardboard you know from your visits to pubs today. Alternatively, coasters made of felt were used.

However, this applied mainly to less wealthy people. Wealthier people at that time used mugs for their beer, which had a lid. Coasters made of cardboard were not produced until the end of the 19th century.

At the beginning they were produced by a German company. The imprint, which today makes every coaster, also existed at that time or in the first models of coasters made of cardboard.

In later decades, the lid became more and more widespread in Europe. It was increasingly used by breweries for advertising purposes with appropriate imprints. In the course of the last century, the production of the coaster became more and more professionalized.

In the blog you will find more exciting articles on how to effectively use different advertising media and many other topics.

The functions of the coaster: coaster to catch moisture.

The beer mat, as you know it today, fulfills several functions. First, it serves as a coaster to ensure that the table on which you place the glass does not get wet when some beer spills over.

Especially with a view to the wooden tables common in many restaurants, this is an extremely important function. Moisture here can leave unsightly and at the same time permanent marks on the surface that negatively affect the appearance and diminish a potentially positive impression on guests.

The same applies if a tablecloth is used. After all, the next guest who takes a seat at the corresponding table does not want to have wet spots between his glasses and plates.

The protective function of the coaster

In addition, the coasters have another function. So they are also intended to serve as a cover for the drink. So you can avoid that it is contaminated by external circumstances.

Furthermore, this type of use prevents certain dangers, especially in summer. For example, using a coaster can prevent a bee or wasp from getting into your glass.

If you notice the insect too late, drinking or swallowing it can have drastic consequences such as a sting, which in some cases can even be life-threatening. In this respect, the coasters also have a certain protective function.

Beer coasters as an advertising medium I: Basic principles

In addition to these functions, which mainly relate to the comfortable enjoyment of a drink, the cardboard coaster offers other possibilities for targeted use. These include, among other things, its property as an advertising medium. Relevant here are, among other things:

• the shape of the coaster
• the color of the coaster
• the imprint

Different shapes of the coaster

Cardboard coasters come in a wide variety of shapes. One of the most common variants is the round shape. It is designed to match the glass and is always slightly larger than the usual diameter of the vessel. Only in this way can you avoid spilling liquid onto the table.

Alternatively, there are coasters in the form of a square. In the vast majority of cases, these are somewhat rounded at the edges. This improves the look and makes for more comfortable use.

In addition, this type of design allows you to avoid cutting or injuring yourself on sharp edges. In some cases, the shape of the cardboard coasterhas not four corners, but even six. With such a lid, you can stand out from the competition and to some extent create a unique selling proposition.

In addition, there are various much more individual shapes for coasters made of cardboard. For example, you have the option of designing the edges with a ripple pattern that is punched in accordingly.

The market even offers coasters in the shape of a heart. If you choose one of these particularly individual variants, your coasters will stand out a little more among the standard variants.

The surface of the lid also offers a certain amount of design freedom: certain patterns or shapes can be punched out here. There are virtually no limits to creativity. For example, you could have a typical bottle shape or your logo punched out, as long as the latter is simple and not too elaborate in terms of shape.

Imprints

Further design options are offered by the potential imprints that you can place on a coaster made of cardboard. First of all, the base color plays a decisive role.

Here you can choose to leave the lid in its natural look or print it partially or completely with a specific color. In the best case, this color is a central part of your brand's CI.

In addition to the basic color, various lettering and images can be printed on the coasters made of cardboard. This is certainly relevant especially for your brand name and logo. Of course, there is also the possibility of printing a simplified image of your product on the lid.

The cardboard beer mat offers you an optimal advertising space for a new drink in your assortment.

The ideal brand ambassador

Based on the options, it is clear that a coaster can be an optimal brand ambassador. Especially when it is used as a lid for the drink, the imprints and contents always remain in the eye of the guests. In this way, you can make your logo known and establish it, among other things. But it also offers opportunities if you are running an already well-known beverage brand.

If you run a business that doesn't produce beverages, coasters can also be a great option for you to advertise. So you can go different ways and "acquire" print space as part of a cooperation with a restaurant. Among other things, this gives you the opportunity to:

• make your company known
• to point out certain products
• draw attention to special offers

Beer coasters as advertising media II: Exciting details

Besides communicating a direct advertising message, coasters made of cardboard offer you the possibility to place various other information. In addition, there are even interactive variants.

Interactive options include printing puzzles such as crossword puzzles or small competitions. Both options allow guests to have a little fun at the get-together - they will then associate this fact with your brand, provided that you also place your logo on the coaster made of cardboard.

Collecting beer coasters as a hobby

Besides the function as an advertising medium, coasters are a popular collector's item. With a collection you can impress other fans, even the one or other exchange is certainly possible. In this way, new social contacts can develop in the best case.

Among other things, social media offer you a wide range of opportunities to establish and maintain appropriate connections. When collecting coasters, you can use several categories as a guide. These include, among others:

• historical coasters,
• Beer coasters from different countries
• or coasters from small and unknown breweries that produce craft beers, for example.

Collecting beer coasters from different perspectives

There are almost no limits to creativity. For example, you can bring coasters back from your travels. On the Internet there is also the option to buy different, sometimes rare coasters.

These cost in most cases no more than a few euros. Especially regarding different historical coasters, this option is certainly interesting and offers you the possibility to create an exciting collection step by step.

The cost factor

This reveals another important factor in collecting coasters, which can be seen as both an advantage and a disadvantage. Due to the low value, coasters made of cardboard are hardly suitable as an investment.

So the possibility of turning your hobby into a profession does not exist. However, at the same time it follows that collecting coasters is an exceptionally inexpensive hobby.

Passion and background knowledge count for much more than the possibility to make high investments. Therefore, you can pursue the pastime independently of your salary.

Conclusion

Cardboard coasters serve various purposes in everyday life. In addition to their actual functions, they can also serve as an advertising medium and collector's item. For the former, there are almost no limits to your creativity. Among other things, this applies to the color, the shape and the imprints. As a passionate coaster collector, you can pursue an inexpensive hobby and find many like-minded people. The coaster made of cardboard is therefore much more than just a utility object used in the catering industry.

FAQ

1. What are the functions of the cardboard coaster?

   The main functions of a coaster made of cardboard are to avoid moisture on the table and to protect a drink from external influences such as insects. They also serve as an advertising medium.

2. What makes coaster collecting so exciting as a hobby?

   Collecting coasters from cardboard, you can constantly expand your knowledge as well as maintain an exchange with other enthusiasts and thus make new social contacts.

 

Image 1: adobe.stock.com © beer coasters #211413938