Donnell Johnson

Guide to Designing a Memorable Airplane Banner

What is an aerial banner ad? It is simply a long banner containing a message that is then flown over a crowd to convey that message randomly to them. Banner ads are very popular way to tell of new stores or restaurants, to remind people of established businesses, or to promote political candidates. They are even used to convey birthday wishes or proposals for marriage.

Aerial advertising has been proven effective as a relatively low cost high impact means of advertising. The message is virtually uncontested as it grabs the attention of a large audience and repeats the message many times as the plane flies over the crowd. The cost per contact is unparalleled in the retail world of advertising.

These factors are all equal: the ad has a captured audience, no competition, the plane drawing attention to the message, and repetition. These are built into the method of advertising. All the messages are also brief. The fly-by time is only 17 seconds. Yet some aerial ads are clearly more effective than others to persuade an audience to consider what it says. What factors make a good banner ad?

Several factors make up a good banner ad. The advertiser has a goal in mind and the brief message must reach that goal. The message must be catchy, readable, attractive, and it must be easy to remember. The printer will take care of the readability, usually using seven foot letters. They will also have suggestions on making it attractive. Your job then is to plan a message that at once conveys what you want to say in few words and is easy to remember.

This little poem has helped people plan an effective ad for many decades: There are six honest serving men Who taught me all I knew. Their names are what and when and why And how and where and who. With these question words in mind, write down everything you really want the audience to learn from the ad about your business. Be concise. Some of these six question words will not apply. For example, you don't need to tell them how you make the product. But the questions like what, when, and where are usually important. The banner may simply convey information about where to find further information, like a phone number or web page.

When you have listed everything that must be included on the banner, then began wording and rewording it until you are satisfied with it. It would be nice to include, say, addresses, phone numbers, webpage addresses for a restaurant. However, that is too much for a message that is passing by. Perhaps it would be best to just include the name and the corner the restaurant is on, and, if easy to remember, a phone number.

Now that your full message is concise, ask yourself, "Is it easy to remember?" Why is this important? People at a beach or sporting event are normally not going to be prepared to take notes. After all, you ad is a brief diversion from their main purpose in being there. It is good to test your idea on others to see if they think it will be remembered. Take your time to make it catchy. It will be worth the effort.

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