Poster-licious
Last night Eileen and I strolled to The Roundhouse, Hazelnut lattes in-hand, and did a quick walk-thru of the Exhibition Hall – a reconnaissance mission if you will. Holy crap are we getting excited for Nov.4! The exhibition is going to be amazing – and open to the public, how cool is that! With CREATIVEMIX returning to the same venue as last year we have the glorious task of simply tweaking things which is nice. We also came across the BIG posters. Eileen snapped a quick shot from her phone (pic above) – I’m not sure why I’m looking off into space (shut it).
Pic The Poster
For all you Vancouverites – the next time you see the conference poster think: CHOCOLATE! Take a picture of yourself (or a friend) in front of the CREATIVEMIX poster then upload it to the Facebook Page or tweet it out with BOTH hashtags #creativemix and #minkchocolates. Your picture enters you into a draw for a yummy gift from Mink Chocolates! This contest closes October 15th at 11:59pm. My favourite flavour is Navel Gazing – what’s yours?
Speaking of posters, I think the event and entertainment industry needs a good, old-fashioned, smack upside the head (maybe Naomi Klein has a big stick I could use). I’m tired of seeing event posters stuck to anything and everything – mailboxes, telephone poles, fences, walls, and unused commercial spaces. I’m not a die-hard, sorry Naomi, but I do feel a sense of responsibility with respect to the environment and to our cultural well-being. The practice of postering is one that causes me great concern. The flour+water spray guns (or worse, glue), the tape, and the resulting trash are not cool in my eyes. The defacing of public space is infuriating. Nothing cheapens a creative brand more than being garbage in the gutter – hello Las Vegas.
In my event planning workshops I caution emerging event planners to stay away from noise-generating advertising and postering is atop the list (handbills on unmanned tables and window ledges is number two). When it comes to CREATIVEMIX posters we only print as many as we need and we work with a reputable poster placement company who puts them up on managed community boards and in dedicated display spaces. We put our posters in places that people want to see event promotion. Mass postering fits into the advertising method that is going for the highest number of impressions – a strategy that I believe is toxic both from a environmental standpoint and a branding perspective.
I don’t want to simply rant though – certain aspects of postering have a rich cultural history and I do understand it’s value, at least in some degree, when it comes to social change and activism. Anarchy aside, here’s a different, but extremely intelligent, take on the whole thing from Mark Pickersgill (Vancouver-based): The Short, Happy Life of Street Posters
So here’s a challenge for you: If you’re a creative mind behind a project or event that’s trying to gather people to an honest, inspiring, artistic, or cultural endeavor try spreading the word with as little printed collateral as possible. And the printing you do get done – treat each unit as if it were precious and important, because it is.
Posts
