Article Testimonials

Pepsi Promotes New Beverage by Using Logo Umbrellas and Old Fashion Methods of Advertisement

Pepsi has launched many new products over the years but never to the extent of not using television or print to advertise, until now. Good old fashion advertising or “Word Of Mouth" is the idea Pepsi came up with to launch a new brand of zero calorie soft drinks named “Tava". Of course web advertising is a huge part of the “new" way to tell a friend. Banner ads are circulating the web along with tava.com, although Pepsi's target customer is not what you would typically expect.
Tava was created for women and men in their mid thirties to late forties that have lived through the digital age and adapted well without major withdrawals if the power goes out. These are consumers that want to be seen as more health conscience and sophisticated in their choice of beverages.

For this promotional event held in beautiful Miami, Florida, two umbrellas were custom designed with the Tava logo by using a digital imaging process which allows any image to be applied to the surface of 100% solution dyed acrylic material. The film is transferred to the fabric using a vacuum heat compression system that bonds the image to the canvas and creates bold and eye catching images. This process allows many types of colors and designs to be used to assure you are getting exactly what you want.


These canopies were made with Sunbrella outdoor awning fabric made in the color Linen and placed in a hardwood cherry stain frame. Notice that the undersides of the umbrellas were also done by using our digital processing system. This is the kind of product Umbrella Source prides itself in making; uniquely styled, detailed and memorable. And to ensure a long lasting product, Sunbrella awning fabrics come with a 10 year warranty against fading, mildew, rot and damage from atmospheric chemicals.

Many of these Tava promotional events have been scheduled in strategic areas like Sundance film festival and for major influential companies like MTV. Pepsi knows that mailing samples and holding events for employees of well known companies can help the word travel faster. One thing Pepsi knows is that people are influenced by their peers in different ways. They believe that if people want to make their own choice to drink a certain product they can be empowered because they made the choice themselves rather than getting slammed with TV ads that say why you should drink a product. Although Pepsi wants Tava drinks to be more than just a mere trend, they are aware of the possibilities of producing an unsellable product. But for a huge, mega company like Pepsi, it's worth taking the chance.

Article by Anita Winter

The Dominion Club; Glen Allen, Virginia

Country Clubs have the reputation for having immaculate landscaping, stunning views and extensive year round activities for their members. The Dominion Club is definitely no exception. Located in Glen Allen, Virginia, just north of the city of Richmond, this private country club has one of the most visually stimulating and challenging golf courses in the mid Atlantic region.

Sean McLaren has been the General Manager for the last 2 years and has seen growth in membership. "The feature that attracted me and keeps me growing is the membership. This community of members is the best. They support the programs, willing to try everything I can develop. They sponsor fellow neighbors for membership, expressed clearly as we conclude a 90 day membership campaign with 127 new members."

Here at The Dominion Club being an exclusive member has its perks. Amongst the activities that you'll find are golf played on a golf course designed by renowned golfer Curtis Strange, a two time U.S. Open Champion and former Ryder Cup Captain. The 28,000 square foot Clubhouse includes the Rotunda special event space, the Mixed Grille, the Players Lounge and the Golf Pro Shop. Many events are planned throughout the year that caters to kids, from toddlers to teens. They stay busy with a full calendar of activities, such as the Kids Club, summer camps, sports clinics, swimming lessons and their own swim team.

Speaking of swimming, The Dominion Club members enjoy swimming in a Junior Olympic sized swimming pool as seen on the left. Recently Sean had been looking to replace some outdoor umbrellas that covered tables surrounding the pool area he came across Umbrella Source and purchased 30 of our Fiberglass Market Umbrellas. Sean said, "I shopped on line and discovered your superior product. Superior indeed! These umbrellas are one of the strongest on the market today. The fiberglass is similar to the material used in fishing poles and boat liners; it is non-corrosive to the salt and wind and is incredibly flexible in high wind situations.

While a great quality umbrella frame is extremely vital when you are on the search for a good investment so is the fabric you select. Sean chose Sunbrella Forest Green alternating with Natural along with white hand poles to match the previous outdoor furniture and awnings.

Sunbrella fabric is the only choice for most residential and commercial applications. Sunbrella offers a 10 year warranty against fading, staining and the growth of mold and mildew. It also was given the highest recommendation by The Skin Cancer Foundation for its ability to block harmful UVA and UVB rays. Sunbrella fabrics are beautiful as well and can add pizzazz to any outdoor area without compromising your design aesthetic. You have many color options as well as digital imaging for promotional applications.

They look perfect! Classy, sophisticated umbrellas add a wonderful touch to The Dominion Clubs beauty, a great investment to Sean and pure enjoyment to its members.

For info about The Dominion Club go to www.tdcva.com

Article by Anita Winter



The Meridian, Cayman Islands

The beautiful Cayman Islands lie in the northwest of the Caribbean Sea, south of Cuba and West of Jamaica. Christopher Columbus was the first to actually site these tranquil Islands in 1503 on his journey to the New World. He called the island Las Tortugas, seeing that sea turtles inhabited the land and shores.

The island of Grand Cayman, which sits largely unprotected at sea level, has experienced the most hurricane strikes in history, at least one every year. Because of its low altitude and location, the Cayman Islands have been affected by more hurricane and tropical systems than any other region in the Atlantic.


Which can explain the dilemma that many property owners are faced with who choose to live and continue business in susceptible areas such as the Cayman Islands. Why do they stay? Because it's gorgeous, striking and dazzling beaches are one of a kind and for one ocean front luxury condominium named "The Meridian", continue to thrive in tourism because of its wonderful location; located in the heart of fabulous Seven Mile Beach, with white powder beach, within minutes of fine restaurants, world class spas and duty free shopping.


As a property owner it's important to be wise in your selection of outdoor furniture,especially shade products Umbrellas get a lot of abuse in this area of the world, The Meridian is exposed to frequent wind gusts and the harmful effects of salt water and humidity so purchasing the right umbrella is vital. Lee, property manager of The Meridian, had purchased more expensive umbrellas over the years from several different suppliers but ended up with umbrellas that could not withstand the rigors of this harsh commercial environment."I have been a property manager for 15 years and have really never had a product this good."

Lee is referring to these beautiful fiberglass umbrellas she purchased that are now adorning The Meridian beach front villa. She purchased 12- 7.5' x 8 rib Aluminum frame and fiberglass rib umbrellas and 4 of the 9' x 8 made with durable Sunbrella fabrics (Dupione Sand #8011). These umbrellas are commercial grade with a crank to open and close the umbrella as well as a double vent option, so wind gusts can pass through easily.

What makes fiberglass rib frames unique is their flexibility and give. They can take the abuse of powerful wind gusts and because they are made from a non-corrosive material commonly used in fishing poles and boats, the salty air and humidity will not cause deterioration. Sunbrella awning fabric also comes with a 10 year warranty against fading, mold and mildew growth, not to mention protection from harmful UV rays. This is something most property investors look for, quality products that will last. "Most umbrellas I have had to change within a year or two. These obviously are the best I have ever had." says, Lee. They say the customer is always right, well, We can't argue with that!

For more information about the Meridian, go to www.meridian.ky

Article by Anita Winter



Homeowner chooses Wind Resistant Fiberglass Umbrella for their Salt Water Pool

Annapolis, Maryland is known for being Americas Sailing Capitol. During the 1700's Annapolis was an active seaport with ships sailing in to trade from all over the world. Today, you can take long walks along the waterfront and enjoy many more attractions, such as the Naval Academy and St. John's College, which are located in the Historic District. Annapolis also lies within the humid subtropical climate zone, which allows for considerably hot summers and cool winters.

For all the outdoor summer activities that you could enjoy, having your own swimming pool during those hot summer months is at the top of the list for most families. There is nothing better than having an outdoor area that fulfills the need of having to go and spend extra money on something you can enjoy in your own backyard.

For one family living in Annapolis Maryland, building an outdoor pool area was a way to bring a family closer together. What was even more apparent to the owner was the need to provide proper shading not just for obvious shading purposes but inside the pool as well. This led our home owner to purchase this 9 fiberglass market umbrella made with durable Sunbrella fabric. "We wanted a quality Sunbrella fabric umbrella with a high degree of resistance to wind damage." He made the right choice. Our fiberglass umbrellas are very conducive in high wind areas because they are flexible and made of a non-corrosive material. Like the material put into fishing poles and boats, these fiberglass umbrellas bend and give in heavy wind situations.

One evening, our home owner's fiberglass umbrella was put to the test. "We had a pretty severe storm recently that toppled some large trees nearby. I'd estimate the winds were at least 40 mph. We'd forgotten to close the umbrella, but once the storm started we didn't want to take the chance of going outside and getting hit by lightning, so we left the umbrella up. We watched the umbrella swap and flex in the heavy winds, just as it should. The umbrella survived with no damage!" When you can actually see how strong and resilient these fiberglass umbrellas are, you become proud of your purchase and feel confident to recommend it to others.

This umbrella in particular was made with Tuscan Sunbrella fabric and a black frame. "Our pool is saltwater, so we needed a stainless steel mounting mechanism to have the umbrella mounted in the pool. We purchased the stainless steel pieces from Umbrella Source. In fact, it was a web search for the stainless steel hardware that ultimately led me to Umbrella Source...he continues...The combination of color choices in the Sunbrella fabric, along with the choices in hardware color and configuration, also helped make it an easy choice."

Choosing Sunbrella fabric is the wisest decision anyone can make. You not only get oodles of color options but you are given a 10 year warranty against fading, mold and mildew on awning grade fabrics. Another benefit that you may not know about is its ability to filter out the suns harsh rays. In fact, The Skin Cancer Foundation gave its Seal of Recommendation to consumers for the ability to block out considerable amounts of harmful UV rays. With all the worries of skin cancer, it's good to know there are products available to give you peace of mind.

This home owner was so pleased with his pool umbrella that he decided to purchase another for his pool deck. "It's nice to call a reputable source and have a custom umbrella made to order, vs. depending on what happens to be in stock year over year at the local department store. We plan to purchase a third one next year, for another area of our house." If you are looking for quality made products, custom is really the only way to go. For this home owner, he wanted the best investment for his family.

Article by Anita Winter

Cantilever Umbrella for Our Toddlers Sandbox

My husband recently built a large sandbox to the right of our yard for our very busy toddler. He seemed quite overwhelmed by the size of it but later enjoyed rolling in the sand along with our puppy.

My biggest concern was the hot sun on his young tender skin, so we decided to get a large outdoor umbrella that we could place in the sand box that would provide all the shade he needed. We had looked at all our outdoor umbrella options and decided that the offset umbrella also called cantilever umbrella would be the best selection.

A blue aluminum cantilever umbrella made with Sunbrella fabric now sits in the sandbox and gives a special touch to our backyard. With all the fears surrounding sun exposure having a cantilever umbrella was the clear choice. You can tilt this umbrella in any direction to help shade you from the moving sun and still enjoy the outdoors in the strongest heat of the day. Sunbrella fabric is an added plus, made of solution dyed acrylic fibers that are fade resistant in the sun along with UV ray protection, Sunbrella stands out above the rest.

Our toddler is happy to have his own mini island with all the amenities of a classic beach resort; cantilever umbrella, Adirondack chairs and a mound of sand to build as many sand castles possible. Now all his sandbox needs is to be surrounded by a body of water and this island would be complete.

Article by Anita Winter