Some of the notable poster categories that are out there:

• Corporate
• Political
• Film
• Concert
• Campaign

Corporate

Corporate posters are widely used to promote a specific product or a range of products. They are also used to drive a new branding campaign and often use new and powerful slogans, accompanied by a picture which inspires admiration towards the brand. Nike is famous for their massive marketing campaigns and posters are one of the ways in which they reach the public.

Political

Around election times, you can expect to see millions of posters everywhere as political parties fight it out on the polls. As with this poster above of democrat and now president of the US, Barrack Obama, a single word is enough to send a powerful statement to the public and use emotions to drive votes. The word “Hope” in this poster inspires a certain trust when Obama was promising to turn around the US economic decline and withdraw troops from Iraq when most of the country was against it.

Film

The film industry is possibly the largest creator of posters annually around the world. If you can imagine how many films are produced and factor in the amount of posters needed to advertise those films at cinemas, bus stops and malls etc., that’s quite a number. The image used in this poster gives a hint towards the lust and tragedy that you may expect in the film, driving intrigue and interest.

Concert

Concert posters work in much the same way as film posters, but perhaps not in quite the same volume. What they do share in common however is their effectiveness in advertising entertainment and building up “hype” or public anticipation of the event or film. This quite often leads to a larger public turnout than if posters were not used.

Campaign

Campaign posters are generally centred on a charity or social and global issues that beg attention. Powerful words are not uncommon in campaign posters as emotion is the main driving force behind their success. Those words usually coerce the public into a deeper line of thought about something, with the result being an increase in awareness.

As you can see, even though many people are tech-crazy and all about the potential of things tomorrow, the poster has still maintained its place in this world as a powerful tool to convey a message, sell a product or promote an event.

Innovation in Business Cards:

• Officially Stamped
• Peel Appeal
• Give a Little
• Wear It
• Work and Play
• With Love
• Let Your Product Speak For You
• Simplicity
• Tech Alive
• Touch Wood

Officially Stamped

This business card takes us back to the medieval days of the mighty kings and noble lords who would pass along their important messages enclosed by an official wax seal. Now you can seal the deal just like the kings of old.

Peel Appeal

This peeling card idea is novel. It offers a little mystery before one has to peel away the green tab to see what lies behind.

Give a Little

One thing clients really love is free samples of your product. By giving the sample of seeds along with a clever little message to boot is a rally great way to get people to notice you and seriously consider using your services. Compared to a regular business card, this one won’t go by unnoticed.

Wear It

An attractive key-chain with your company details, like the dog-tags above, can draw attention and people tend to keep it with them a lot more often than regular cards. There’s also a good chance that others will catch a glance of your tags too, increasing your advertising.

Work and Play

What better what to advertise a Pilates business than having an interactive card with moveable arms and legs. A bored customer at work is sure to play with it while giving your brand some thought – haha!

With Love

This idea is certainly one of the most unique out there. Who would’ve thought that the classic image of a lipstick-kiss on a napkin could be used to advertise a business? As a make-up artist, this business women/man should have no trouble getting customers to remember their service.

Let Your Product Speak For You

Tying closely to the idea of using a sample of your business product along with your contact details, this idea of the Lego “business card” truly stands out, or stands on your desk!

Simplicity

Simple, clean and foldable, these colourful business cards will take a more pronounced stance on anyone’s desk and will draw attention.

Tech Alive

Most people are familiar with Google Search and this is a novel way of displaying your business online. A glossy business card printed with you website’s details as a Google search result is a pretty fun way of advertising your business, especially if you are in the IT or marketing/advertising sector.

Touch Wood

Do not underestimate the power of texture. These wooden tokens which serve as business cards are original, informative and are sure to grab the attention of potential clients who you dish them out to.

The days of using traditional 85×55 black and white 100# business cards are over if you want to stay ahead of the competition. If you want to make a truly great impression with a weird, innovative and wonderful business card, don’t limit yourself to convention. Breach that barrier and let your imagination take flight.

Whether you need high quality business cards for your clients or printed stationary for use in your office, every penny spent on professional printing services are beneficial to the image, and running, of your business.

Some of the printing solutions that we include at Assignment 3 are:

• Brochures & Flyers
• Business Cards
• Business Forms
• Calendars
• Envelopes
• Invitations
• Memo Pads
• Rubber Stamps

Corporate and promotional printings are also important components for any business. Listed below are three of our printed products and how they can benefit you. They are:

• Corporate Apparel Branding
• Custom Holiday Cards
• Brochures & Flyers

Corporate Apparel Branding

Corporate apparel branding is the process of printing your company’s logo onto any item of clothing that your employees wear to work. This can include anything from shirts, t-shirts and caps to jackets, jerseys and pants etc.

There are many benefits to having your corporate logo represented on your employees’ clothing that include:

• Increased employee loyalty
• Professional company image
• Workers advertise your company’s brand whenever they are out delivering goods or meeting clients etc.

The most effective and low-cost method used to imprint your logo on work clothing that we use is called Pad Printing.

Pad printing is used to transfer a 2-D image to a 3-D surface by means of the offset gravure process. This printing method is not just limited to clothing, but extends to other goods such as sporting equipment, kitchen appliances and toys etc.

Custom Holiday Cards

Ask yourself this question:

When is the last time you sent your clients and/or suppliers a holiday card from your business?

If you cannot remember the last time that you did, or have never done so, now is the time!

We say this because business-to-business relationships are very important and one of the aspects which constitute that relationship is your supplier/client loyalty to your company.

Your clients might deal with a vast number of other businesses and so they often need a reminder that you still exist. Sending them a holiday card or corporate gift lets them know their business is appreciated and they will continue to do business with you.

A custom holiday card is relatively inexpensive if you weigh up the benefits that arise from sending them to your clients and suppliers, so put some strong consideration into having some made during the next holiday season.

Brochures & Flyers

Brochures and flyers are a great addition to any promotional campaign. If you’re launching a new product or announcing a special, a good quality brochure can be used to promote interest and effectively inform the public.

Some of the benefits which you can expect from using high quality brochures and flyers include:

• Great product exposure
• High visual appeal
• Increased sales chance
• High source of information
• Increased business-to-business opportunities

The truth is that most ads and signage seen by the public are good, but not good enough. This is why we’re on about ‘Brave Branding’, so that you can begin to optimise the impact of your advertising efforts.

If you keep on being brave with your advertising you are going to get noticed.

Good is the new average and you cannot afford to be average if you want to get ahead of the competition.

So in another issue of our Brave Branding posts we continue to inspire you with the ideas that other brands have executed.

What constitutes a great Ad?

• The unexpected (surprise value)
• Innovation
• The Power Message

The Unexpected

If you want to create an Ad that’s really going to surprise people this requires the unexpected. People like this. The Lays advert below took the concept of their potatoes that they use in the production of their chips and really surprised people with the sight of them sprouting out the ceiling in the Jackson Tunnel, U.S.A.

Not only was this idea highly original, but because of its unusual position, it ensured that attention would be drawn to it.

(Question: Do you think this Ad would have had the same impact if it had been placed on the wall?)

Then also accompanied by a clever message on the advertisement banner to the left, a clever connection is spun which has now increased its value.

The idea is great for brand awareness, but to lead to a purchase this idea would have been awesome at the shop where you buy Lays.

Innovation:

There are two ways to be innovative. An old idea or concept can be reinvented or redesigned, or you can create something altogether new and original. Saatchi & Saatchi, a worldwide renowned advertising company, created a promotional gift in order to attract prospective advertisers to buy advertising space on TV 2 in New Zealand with the TV Premiere of “Finding Nemo”.

The sushi gift which revolved around the animation character “Nemo” was a great success and not only generated unprecedented results, but also won awards for innovative advertising.

The Power Message.

The power message is a message in an advert that immediately instils a strong thought in people’s minds. These types of messages are greatly used in awareness campaigns to create a strong emotion. Take for example the advert below by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) who is raising awareness around the global issue of deforestation and overdevelopment in sensitive wildlife areas.

Although many people are intelligent and try to make the right choices in life, there are many of those who are not fully cognizant about the consequences that even the want of a coffee table might pose on wildlife in our forests.

The painting of spots on a tree and the placement of the advert reading “You never kill just the tree” creates a powerful message to the public and is not just a good ad initiative, but a great one. This is also the way to go if you’re on a budget!

For all types of signage such as professionally made banners, Assignment 3 is ready to go! Give us a call on 021 552 8400 or send your queries by email to find out about all our advertising and signage solutions.

Advantages of Vinyl:

• Scratch & tear resistant
• Durable & Long Lasting
• Weather Proof
• Various Applications

Depending on density and the adhesive used, plasticized polyvinyl chloride (PPVC) can have multiple branding applications such as stickers, car decals or wraps, billboards and indoor signage etc.

Vinyl Stickers for Cars

These kinds of vinyl stickers are better known as decals or car wraps. A magnetic-backed variant is also available which allows for the changing of position of the image, or using it on another operational work vehicle.
Decals are small images and designs that are cut and applied to individual panels of a vehicle and car wraps are large sheets which cover the entire vehicle.

The durable nature of vinyl means that the stickers used on your vehicle can last up to 7 years. A cool spin-off effect of this durability means that your vehicle’s paint remains unaffected by the elements as long as the wrap is protecting it. Some special effects are available too as the vinyl can be textured to mimic a carbon fibre or matt finish – something which is growing in popularity recently.

Here is a quick example of the usual process of creating and applying a vinyl decal to a car:

Vinyl Stickers for Walls

As mentioned above, with a different type of adhesive used, vinyl stickers can be transformed and used on both exterior and interior wall surfaces as either signage or wall murals. Things like domed stickers also use a vinyl-sticker backing which increases its visual appeal and further adds to its durability.

Interested in Vinyl Branding? look no further! Feel free to call us on (021) 552 8400 or drop us an email to query our various Vinyl Signage solutions.

• Types of Design
• Types of Paper
• Types of Ink
• Types of Printing

Types of Design

After you have established what kind of printed products you are interested in, you need to create your design. These are created by skilled designers using computer programs such as Adobe Photoshop, Indesign, Corel Draw and AutoCAD etc.

The graphic design images fall into two categories, each with its own advantages and disadvantages.

1 )  Raster Graphics

Raster Images are the ones most familiar to the average person. They are any image which consists of large amount of coloured dots or pixels which make up the image. Raster images are generally used by professionals when creating photographic prints.

• Pros: Great for photographic prints, web design and other effects.
• Cons: Not so great on larger prints as resolution-dependant images lose detail as you expand the pixels. Larger images with more pixels have large file sizes. Conversion from Vector to Raster not easy.
• File Formats: BMP (Windows Bitmap), PCX (Paintbrush), TIFF (Tag Interleave Format), JPEG (Joint Photographics Expert Group), GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) , PNG (Portable Network Graphic), PSD (Adobe PhotoShop) and CPT (Corel PhotoPAINT).

Vector images are most used by professionals and instead of using pixels to represent an image; the image itself is constructed by an immense frame of mathematically calculated lines. Each individual line is configured to have a specific size, colour, curvature and shading to ensure that you have a flawless image.

• Pros: Resolution independent – therefore images can be increased in size without losing detail. Images are also a lot smaller in file size. Conversion from Raster to Vector Easy.
• Cons: Does not support photographic imagery.
• File Formats: EPS (Encapsulated PostScript), WMF (Windows Metafile), AI (Adobe Illustrator), CDR (CorelDraw), DXF (AutoCAD), SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) and PLT (Hewlett Packard Graphics Language Plot File).

Many signage companies will offer you a host of options to develop a unique sign which will attract potential clients to your company or brand of products.

3 Great Ideas:

• Give your signs “life”
• Breathe air into them
• Seize the moment!

Let your signs come alive, literally:

Signs and billboards that offer a sight beyond the norm tend to command far more attention than those who simply depict a message and a company logo. By giving the public something to really marvel at, they will not only tell everyone about it, but will reference your company or brand name too.

Contagion Bacteria Billboard – This billboard was constructed by Pictures Canada for the premiere of the Warner Bros feature film “Contagion” in 2011. By clever use of bacteria and fungi, the title and imagery in the sign grew into sight over a couple of days to emphasise the power of spreading bacteria and creating a compelling invitation to watch the film.

Ford: “Makes everything a little greener” – This billboard was created in Dundas Square, Toronto, and featured 900 real plants as the backdrop and eye-grabbing feature of this sign. The billboard has its own built-in irrigation system and took 6 men around 10 days to complete.

Add a little hot air:

Inflatable billboards can be popular as they have great placement potential. Not only can they be placed literally anywhere, given an open surface, but they are easy to disassemble and reassemble – and they float!

Sports events are great places to market your business as there are normally thousands of people on foot and a towering billboard will be sure to grab attention!

During the summer, the beach is a great place for advertising. This sign by BBI-displays is positioned in the water to grab the attention of all the bathers.

Seize the moment!

One of the reasons why ice-cream vendors on the beach are successful is because they are selling the right product at the right place and at the right time. Nothing is better than having something ice-cold on a scorching day as you are lying in the sand enjoying your day at the beach.

The same concept can be applied to signage, where you hit the metaphorical “nail on the head” and engage the public at the right place and in the right circumstances, offering them something that will appeal to their desires.

Take this rotating billboard for example:

Honda understands the problem that we have in South Africa of gridlocked traffic situations in the morning. They used that to their advantage in their ad campaign by basically saying, “Why spend your time idling along when you can buy our Honda motorbikes and beat the traffic?”

If you are looking for great signage for your business, look no further. Feel free to call us on (021) 552 8400  or drop us an email to query our various signage solutions.

“Typically, Guerrilla marketing campaigns are unexpected and unconventional, potentially interactive, and consumers are targeted in unexpected places.” – Wikipedia

With this marketing strategy, as you have read in its definition, the focus is applied to drawing attention to your brand or company by being brazen, outrageous, surprising and interesting.

This micro-guide will attempt to briefly answer the following questions about Guerrilla Marketing:

• How do I achieve this?
• What kind of budget do I need?
• What marketing platforms can use this form of marketing?
• What are some examples?

How do I achieve this?

It’s largely dependent on your brand, your target market, the location and the unusual spin you choose to put on your advert. You need to think in terms of what will make your advert/form of advertising different from any other you have seen. The emphasis on this form of marketing is to create something truly compelling that forces even the most uninterested of individuals to have a second look at your advert that you are marketing.

What kind of budget do I need?

The budget for this kind of marketing can range anything between a shoe-string budget to millions of rands. This depends on various factors such as level of detail, complexity and intricacy, what type of platform will be used, location and of course, the size and scope of the ad campaign.

What marketing platforms can use this form of marketing?

The possibilities are endless and span across all types of marketing platforms, i.e. Billboards, Posters, Event Signage, Light Boxes and Vehicle Signage etc.

What are some examples?

Vehicle Signage

Vehicle signage on a bus, advertising the Copenhagen Zoo.

Billboard

An innovative billboard of the popular TV show, Law & Order.

Poster

A movie poster with what appears to be broken glass as its “attention grabber”.

Stickers

This simple sticker reflects the Axe deodorant image in a humorous way.

Interactive / Promotional

Giant sea-shells that were advertising a seafood restaurant. I thought this idea was very novel as clams those size are sure to grab anyone’s attention on the beach.

Here’s one of Assignment3′s favourite picks:

Brand your vehicle with a design that is eye-catching and that will draw people closer, then once you have drawn them in they will have noticed an innovative card-holder which they will now be able to take a business card from -not a bad idea!

Besides the use of clever graphics and the design as a whole, you could use something to prompt action by the public:

“COME CLOSER…

Read the fine print if you dare…”

“If you are interested in only the best service and products when it comes to [INSERT YOUR TYPE OF PRODUCT HERE], take one of our business cards.”

Whether you want an amazing design for your vehicle signage, to be braver at your next event or to suspend an ad off the side of a building in a busy metropolis, Assignment3 can assist you. Give us a call on 021 552 8400, fill in a contact form or email us to query the services and products that we have to offer.

What you may not know is that it dates back to around 1870 when the printing industry perfected colour lithography. Ever since then, it’s been used to drive the message of the day.  Be it political propaganda, announcing a new show or advertising a product, the poster has served man in a variety of ways.

Success can be achieved with posters if you awaken your creative side and apply some Guerrilla Marketing strategies to them.

Where many people go wrong with posters is that they underestimate the sheer power they hold. Posters not only have the ability to send a strong message to the public, but they are versatile, cost-effective and can be mass-produced to cover a large area for maximum exposure.

Some questions to ask yourself to possibly increase the advertising value of your poster are:

• Is my poster interactive?
• Does my poster provoke a thought or an emotion?
• Will my poster be eye-catching and engage the public?
• Is the location of my poster correct?
• When should you use posters?
• How can you use a poster in a new way?

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A look at some of the most common commercial signage options used in the industry today.

A-Frame Signs: This method of signage is relatively cheap and cost-effective. The signs are small, durable and foldable, meaning that you can place them anywhere. They last a long time in all weather conditions and being foldable, they are easy to reposition and move around.

Estate Agent Boards: Easy to use and light-weight. These signs are printed on sheets of fluted polypropylene plastic which are waterproof and ideal for both indoor and outdoor use. The manufacture of this kind of “corrugated” plastic sheeting is DS Smith Correx and so this board is generally referred to as a Correx board. These signs are also cost-effective and relatively cheap to produce.

Vertical Banners: Most often seen at nearly all outdoor events and promotions. Vertical Banners are constructed out of a very durable polyester material which attach to a vertical grounding pole made out of either aluminium or aircraft-grade fibre-glass. These banners are very eye catching and can withstand most weather conditions.

Billboards: This form of signage is undeniably effective and has the potential to grab large amounts of people’s attention on a daily basis. Positioned adjacent to a highway or busy city streets and incorporating an eye-catching design and catch-phrase, this method is guaranteed to draw interest.

Canvas Prints: Canvas Prints involve the reproduction of designs and digital images by printing them onto a piece of canvas cloth which is stretched onto a wooden frame. This gives it a very classy feel and begs the attention of people walking by.

Dome Stickers: Dome stickers are similar to regular stickers in the sense that you get an image which has an adhesive coating on the back, allowing it to be stuck anywhere and used as advertising. Where the difference comes in with regards to Dome Stickers is that there is a Polyurethane resin “dome” which is attached to the sticker and gives a 3D feel to it. This also makes the sticker UV resistant and much more durable.

Fridge Magnets: A Fridge Magnet is something that can grab the attention of wandering eyes while people stop for a chat in the kitchen or just passing through. Many people have direct copies of their business cards made into fridge magnets as they generally tend to outlast that or their cardboard cousins.

Labels: Despite serving the obvious purpose in helping to name and categorise all kinds of things, labels can serve as a powerful component when used to advertise a company’s logo or a political party’s campaign etc.

Light Boxes: There are numerous benefits to using light box signage. It offers an attractive presentation of an advert, while offering more light to an indoor space and maintaining a sleek and professional appearance. Maintaining this form of light advertising is more efficient than neon lights and of course you can make use of much more intricate and detailed designs.

Vehicle Signage: There are various kinds of vehicle signage, with three main kinds being popular in the industry at the moment. The three types of vehicle signage are vinyl car-wraps, individual vinyl signage and magnetic vehicle signage. Car-wraps involve your entire vehicle being covered by a vinyl sheet, while an individual vinyl sign occupies single panels and the magnetic signs are the same, with the difference that they can be repositioned.

Posters: Posters will forever be one of the time-honoured forms of advertising and although it may not compete with other forms of advertising, it’s a very inexpensive type of advertising and will compliment your other advertising options. Remember, combining advertising strategies can be more effective than choosing just a few select methods.

Shop-front & Office
Signage:
The correct use of shop-front signage can make the difference between people who enter your shop or business as opposed to just walking on.

Wall Mural: A mural doesn’t need much introduction, but its purpose in the workplace certainly does. A wall mural is very effective as it sends a loud statement to your own company and your clients. It transforms a boring space into a creative one and it allows you to define your space, so that clients know what you are all about.

3D Lettering: 3D signs offer you a wide variety of creative design options which will cause your company to stand out and increase your public exposure. The materials used to construct 3D signs are many and not limited to Wood, Perspex, Aluminium, and Glass and so on etc.

As you can see there are many options in terms of advertising platforms and the ones mentioned above are only but a few that we at Assignment 3 have on offer. If you are interested in pursuing the endless possibilities that signage has to offer, complete a contact form, drop us an email or give us a call on 021 552 8400. If you’d like more information about all our signage services at Assignment3, feel free to send a query.