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Many U.S. banks offer "promotional items" (things that are given away to customers or "potential customers" (people who might become customers in the future) as a way to attract new customers and improve "brand recognition" (how familiar people are with a particular brand) and "brand loyalty" (how often people do business repeatedly with a particular company or product)). Usually-but not always-these items are related to financial transactions or "savings" (money put aside for use in the future).

Today, some of the most common bank "giveaways" (promotional items; things that are given to people for free) are "piggy banks," which are small plastic or "ceramic" (the material used to make plates and bowls) containers in the shape of a pig with a "slot" (small, narrow rectangular opening) in the top. Piggy banks are used to store coins, especially so that they can be "cashed in" (exchanged for paper money of the same value) when one is ready to spend the money. Modern piggy banks often have the name of the bank printed on the side of the pig, along with a phone number or "URL" (website address) of the bank.

In the past, some piggy banks were more "elaborate" (fancy and detailed). Known as "mechanical banks," they had simple "mechanisms" (tools; ways of doing things) that caused parts to move when a coin was "deposited" (dropped into the bank). For example, a mechanical bank could have small "figurines" (small shapes that look like little people) of baseball players who "swing the bat" (move a stick in the air to hit a ball) whenever a coin is "inserted" (put into the mechanical bank). These banks from the past are now "highly" (very much) "collectable" (wanted by many people who want many or specific examples of a particular item, usually as a hobby or as an investment).