Recognition That Carries Real Weight
For more than 25 years, our team of experts have helped investment banks, private equity firms, real estate companies and corporations design and produce meaningful commemorative deal markers. Often called deal toys or financial tombstones, these custom objects translate complex financial transactions and major corporate milestones into lasting, physical form.
At Polaris Custom Awards, every piece begins with the same goal: to create an object that reflects the importance of the achievement it represents.
Expertise in Deal Toys and Custom Awards
Polaris Custom Awards is a team of experienced designers and production specialists who focus on custom awards for significant milestones. Our work includes deal toys, financial tombstones, custom Lucite awards, crystal awards and corporate recognition pieces created for transactions, fund closings, real estate developments, pharmaceutical approvals and other important events.
Unlike promotional products or generic awards, deal markers must communicate complex information through design, materials and form. We approach every project as both a design challenge and a manufacturing challenge, ensuring the final object is distinctive, well-crafted and built to last.
Design and Production Expertise
One of the things that sets Polaris apart is that clients work directly with the people who design and produce their projects.
There are no layers of salespeople or intermediaries. Instead, you collaborate with experienced professionals who understand both creative design and real-world production methods, including Lucite embedment, crystal fabrication, cast resin, metal components and mixed materials.
This approach leads to better concepts, smoother production and faster response times.
Experience Across Industries
Our clients span a wide range of industries, including investment banking, private equity, commercial real estate, energy, healthcare, biotechnology and technology.
Over the years we have designed and produced recognition pieces featuring everything from embedded financial models and architectural forms to pharmaceutical components and industrial elements. Each project is custom designed to capture the story behind the achievement it commemorates.
A Thoughtful Approach to Recognition
At Polaris, we believe a well-designed award should do more than acknowledge success. It should reflect the effort, collaboration and significance behind the achievement.
When thoughtfully designed and carefully produced, a deal marker becomes something more than an object. It becomes a permanent reminder of an important moment.
Our work spans industries—from investment banking and real estate to energy, biotech, and beyond. Whether it’s Lucite with an embedded drug vial, etched crystal, cast resin, or sustainable materials, every award is custom-crafted to tell your story.
At Polaris, we focus on quality, customization options, pricing, and turnaround time. We believe a well-made award does more than commemorate success—it keeps it alive, for lasting effect.
Atlas trophy sculpture on marble base, representing the strength, responsibility, and craftsmanship behind custom awards and financial deal markers produced by Polaris Custom Awards.
What Is a Deal Toy or Financial Tombstone?
A deal toy, sometimes called a financial tombstone, is a custom commemorative object created to mark the closing of an important financial transaction such as a merger, acquisition, financing or fund closing. These objects are traditionally given to the professionals involved in the transaction and are designed to reflect the story, structure or symbolism of the deal.
Deal toys are typically produced using materials such as Lucite, crystal, metal, resin and mixed materials, allowing designers to embed objects, create sculptural forms or visually represent the transaction being commemorated.
How Custom Deal Toys Are Designed and Produced
Designing a successful deal toy requires both creative thinking and an understanding of real-world manufacturing processes. Each project begins with concept development, where the transaction’s story, structure and symbolism are translated into a physical design.
From there, the design must be engineered for production. Materials such as Lucite, crystal, metal and resin each have different capabilities and constraints, and successful designs account for those realities from the beginning.
At Polaris Custom Awards, every project is developed with production in mind. This approach leads to objects that are not only visually distinctive, but also structurally sound, manufacturable and consistent in quality.
Members of the Polaris team have worked across the global deal toy industry since the 1990s, collaborating with investment banks, private equity firms and corporations to create custom recognition pieces that mark significant transactions.
About Polaris Custom Awards
FAQs
What is a deal toy?A deal toy, sometimes called a financial tombstone or a deal marker, is a custom commemorative object created to mark the closing of a financial transaction such as a merger, acquisition or financing.
what materials are used in deal toys?Common materials include Lucite, crystal, metal, resin and mixed materials designed to represent the transaction being commemorated.
How are deal toys designed?Deal toys are designed by translating the story of a transaction into a physical object. Designers often use materials such as Lucite, crystal, metal or resin to create forms that represent the companies, industry or structure of the deal being commemorated.
