Thread: Your Promotional Posters - What Do They Look Like?

I'd be interested in seeing what types of posters other people are using to promote their classes.

Here's one that I just finished today. It'll be put up in every city bus in town for the next month, as well as in a couple of other places:



if you don't see an image embedded above this text, click on this link: http://www.shira.net/shirapix/bus-poster.jpg

It's my first experience with using full-color photo posters and putting them on city buses. It'll be interesting to see whether they generate enough new students to justify the expense.

Wow, Shira, great experiment! Please let us know how that goes.

I don't use posters, but I can put up one of my magazine ads later. I get a LOT of response from that.

Here's mine, but I just hang it up at the dance studio and at a few other places. It's not a proper poster...

I can't read the bit down on the left corner. what does it say?

Originally Posted by lotus

I can't read the bit down on the left corner. what does it say?

You mean on mine? It's the logo for the non-profit studio where I teach, and underneath it is text with their url and words saying to go there to see other classes available. In order for me to be able to use their non-profit status to get free space on the city buses, I need to include their logo and that text on the poster.

Originally Posted by Lauren_

I don't use posters, but I can put up one of my magazine ads later. I get a LOT of response from that.

Lauren, what types of magazines do you advertise in?

I've thought of taking out an ad in the local "Women's Edition" magazine, but so far haven't done it yet.

Hi Shira,

I wanted to let you know that the first quote mark on Arabics is backwards. Don't let it go to print.

I noticed that too and just thought how clever Shira was to do that as it definitely draws attention to the word, lol.

It is a beautiful poster Shira.

Originally Posted by *Shira*

Lauren, what types of magazines do you advertise in?

I've thought of taking out an ad in the local "Women's Edition" magazine, but so far haven't done it yet.

Right now I'm in a full-color magazine that gets mailed to homes around the area. It used to be a coupon magazine, but it's grown beyond that a bit. It's not cheap -- I pay about $260 to run a small ad every other month -- but it's definitely effective.

I get a batch of phone calls every time it runs, which usually amounts to 4-6 new students who pay $54 for the session -- and a few of those will become my students for years. So it pays for itself, and in the long run it's profitable for me.

Here's the ad I just finished for the holiday issue (a little larger than life size):



I've been experimenting with these very busy designs, and they seem to be pulling for me. I guess it makes me look like fun?

Originally Posted by Lauren_

Right now I'm in a full-color magazine that gets mailed to homes around the area. It used to be a coupon magazine, but it's grown beyond that a bit. It's not cheap -- I pay about $260 to run a small ad every other month -- but it's definitely effective.

I get a batch of phone calls every time it runs, which usually amounts to 4-6 new students who pay $54 for the session -- and a few of those will become my students for years. So it pays for itself, and in the long run it's profitable for me.

Here's the ad I just finished for the holiday issue (a little larger than life size):



I've been experimenting with these very busy designs, and they seem to be pulling for me. I guess it makes me look like fun?

I think it works because the background is busy, but the info stuff is very clear. I like it lots!

Deborah

I really like how you and the yoga person go outside the edges of the ad. It's very eye catching!

Originally Posted by laura 2

I really like how you and the yoga person go outside the edges of the ad. It's very eye catching!

Favorite trick of mine, and I happen to know that this particular magazine allows it, because I used to be their art director and it bugged me no end! ..l;,

in most pubs, if you want to do that you have to make the whole ad fit in the amount of space you purchased, and make the boxed area smaller.

Originally Posted by Lauren_

in most pubs, if you want to do that you have to make the whole ad fit in the amount of space you purchased, and make the boxed area smaller.

We used to use that trick in my Yellow Pages days too. We did some focus groups that showed they were overwhelmingly memorable compared to ads without the technique.

I think your bellydancing does look like "Fun, fun fun!" I love all 3 ads I've seen.

hey Shira....three suggestions coming from the PR person in me (day job pokes in from time to time :)

1--I don't think you need to write "See:" before your website...since it's on its own line, it draws central attention. Also, at this point in time, everyone will recognize a website URL and know what to do with it. Unless you're writing a full copy paragraph such as "See Shira's website....for more info," then that's not really necessary
2- should "Arts a la carte" have an accent on the "a"? I don't know, as it's the name of an entity, but that phrase should have one
3 - typeface....you should generally try not to have more than 2 on your ad/page/etc. Since you have the "Shira" type, the body text type and the "Arts" type, you've got three, which can look busy....perhaps you can find out what font "Arts" uses and use it on the body text to give it a coherent look

the photo you chose is perfect---beautiful costume, plus the fact that you're "looking" at the text makes me look there too. Hope it brings you more students!

Originally Posted by najla86

hey Shira....three suggestions coming from the PR person in me (day job pokes in from time to time :)

1--I don't think you need to write "See:" before your website...since it's on its own line, it draws central attention. Also, at this point in time, everyone will recognize a website URL and know what to do with it. Unless you're writing a full copy paragraph such as "See Shira's website....for more info," then that's not really necessary
2- should "Arts a la carte" have an accent on the "a"? I don't know, as it's the name of an entity, but that phrase should have one
3 - typeface....you should generally try not to have more than 2 on your ad/page/etc. Since you have the "Shira" type, the body text type and the "Arts" type, you've got three, which can look busy....perhaps you can find out what font "Arts" uses and use it on the body text to give it a coherent look

the photo you chose is perfect---beautiful costume, plus the fact that you're "looking" at the text makes me look there too. Hope it brings you more students!

Hi Najla! Thanks for the feedback! I agree with you on the "see" - it won't be in there the next time I revise/update this poster. I'm thinking I'll also omit the street addresses for the studios, and just have the studio name and city name. That'll give me a little more white space (uh, blue space) and make it look less busy. The street addresses for the studios are on my web site, so if people go to my site, they'll find all that detail there.

For point 2, you're right, in the body text I should put the accent grave over the "a" in "a la carte". I should have known better than to omit it - I have a degree in French! Ah well, something to fix next time!

For point 3, I'm kind of stuck using Arts a la Carte's logo exactly as is, since my contract with the studio requires me to use their logo on my promotional posters. AND since using it gets me non-profit rates for stuff like bus placement, copying, etc. I don't know what font they used for it, though I suppose I could ask. I was kind of hoping that (from a design perspective) I could treat it as an "image" element rather than as a "text" element, thereby exempting myself from having to treat it as a "font" for design purposes!

Originally Posted by Michelle75

Hi Shira,

I wanted to let you know that the first quote mark on Arabics is backwards. Don't let it go to print.

What does "Arabics" exercise mean?

Originally Posted by dunyah

What does "Arabics" exercise mean?

Exercise based on belly dance moves. I don't like the term "bellyrobics" that so many other dancers use, so I tried to come up with something else that would capture the flavor of belly dance but sound nicer.

Originally Posted by *Shira*

Exercise based on belly dance moves. I don't like the term "bellyrobics" that so many other dancers use, so I tried to come up with something else that would capture the flavor of belly dance but sound nicer.

I think your poster is beautiful, very nice layout and classy-looking photo. I don't find a problem with the typeface as someone mentioned, it doesn't look overly busy to me, but maybe following that suggestion would add to the overall "classy" vibe. It looks professional to me.

I didn't "get" the term "Arabics" exercise, though. Bellyrobics I would have understood. It just confused me. I can't think of a good alternative right now, though. Maybe just the word aerobic would be enough, or cardio healthy or something would get the message across. I thought maybe it had something to do with learning the language through the class.

Hmmm...I have never heard the term bellyrobics and don't think I would have understood it I weren't already a dancer. I hope this isn't offending anyone,but it's a very unpleasant sounding word to me for some reason-sounds too much like bellyrolls (not the fun kind!) I wish I could come up with a better term, I am afraid I am not much help here!

I love Shira and Lauren's posters but the 'arabics' sits weird....It reminds me of when people caption photos, 'arabic women in a shop' um no, Arab women in a shop yes.

I get both the bellyrobics and arabics because of the rest of the poster. I would read them and think they were cute terms for a more exercise class.

I've seen the terms Belly Moves and Belly Shape as a combination of Bellydance and Cardio too..

B

Aerabics?
Arab-bics?

I second the compliment of excellent photo choice. This design has excellent eyeflow. The reader is never left wondering what to read next or what they've already read.

This is also very easily readable. As someone with a background in creating ads for seniors, that was always a very important thing for me.

I've just finished a new promotional poster, this one for a special class to benefit cancer patients:



It seems awfully texty, but I can't really bring myself to delete any of it.

Anybody else brave enough to share your promotional posters? I enjoyed seeing Lauren's ad and Andalee's poster, but I want to see more!

I know you want MORE people to contribute, but I just updated mine for 2009 and I like it a lot more.

I am also working on a poster for my NYE show and I will post it when it is done.

I don't teach but here is the promotional poster I designed for a charity event that my Belly Dance school held back in November. (It was really successful by the way as we sold all the tickets). [IMG][/IMG] though it is less bright pink that what shows up here.

Originally Posted by *Shira*

I've just finished a new promotional poster, this one for a special class to benefit cancer patients:



It seems awfully texty, but I can't really bring myself to delete any of it.

Shira, that's lovely, and what a great gesture for you to donate the entire proceeds!


I have a suggestion for you, for the future if it's too late to edit this one. Mix up the text sizes. Make a few things really big, to draw attention from across the room (bus?) but then some of the details (pricing, address, sponsors) can be smaller. Once people are drawn into the 'sales pitch' they'll come closer for the details. It won't feel so 'texty' when you've made all that text easy to skim at a glance.

Make it clear to the eye what's supposed to be read first and what is supporting details.

Originally Posted by Lauren_

Shira, that's lovely, and what a great gesture for you to donate the entire proceeds!


I have a suggestion for you, for the future if it's too late to edit this one. Mix up the text sizes. Make a few things really big, to draw attention from across the room (bus?) but then some of the details (pricing, address, sponsors) can be smaller. Once people are drawn into the 'sales pitch' they'll come closer for the details. It won't feel so 'texty' when you've made all that text easy to skim at a glance.

Make it clear to the eye what's supposed to be read first and what is supporting details.

Lauren, thanks much for the suggestion! I'm such a novice at graphics arts stuff that it's helpful to receive tips from those who have done it fora living!

I've uploaded a replacement version, which you should be able to see if you refresh the screen. It didn't really seem feasible to play much with the font sizes, but I did decide to make some changes to font color. I put in white the sections that I want to really stand out. What do you think?

This one won't be on a bus. It'll be posted at the yoga studio that's hosting it, in the exam rooms and waiting room of the surgeon, and possibly other places around town (in elevators at a cancer center, etc.)