Posters Are From Mars. Signs Are From Venus.
By Bocotton Stormfield.

This is a POSTER:	This is a SIGN:
This is a POSTER:	This is a SIGN:
This is a POSTER:	These are SIGNS:

This is a POSTER and a SIGN:

Excuse me Mama. I couldn't help myself.

Don’t Just Sit There Like a Bump on a Log: Say Something!

A POSTER says something specific and solicits an immediate response. A SIGN is just information: Boring, repetitive and mostly ignored--like all of those political road signs littering up the highways of your state. If you are planning to spend hundreds of thousands of your (scarce, hard-to-come-by) campaign dollars to buy road SIGNS, please reconsider that decision.  It is just plain wrong-headed to think that people will vote for you just because they read your name over and over again on SIGNS up and down the highways. Forget it.  It's a complete waste of time and  money. A POSTER in a shop window or taped into the back window of a car is quite another matter, especially if the POSTER has a powerful message which is intelligently crafted and beautifully presented. 

Here are some wonderful posters from the 1968 Presidential election to illustrate the point:

This one is Roger Ailes all the way and very effective-- an engaging candid photograph of Nixon and a brilliant line of copy. The first two words in RED say it all: 1. You guys really screwed it up eight years ago: Look what a mess those Democrats have gotten us into now. THIS TIME, you have a chance to correct your temporary insanity. 2.  Shame, shame! Those warmongering Democrats have involved us in a pointless, wasteful war half way around the globe. THIS TIME, you can vote for a peace candidate who'll end this silly war without delay. 3. Look how dangerous our streets and cities have become. THIS TIME, elect a man who will bring us togther and restore America to its rightful place as a nation of laws. 4.  THIS TIME, listen to reason. Vote like your whole world depended on it.

Hmmmmm.

Here's one more from 1968. This poster doesn’t actually say anything in words, but it definitely evokes an emotional response. A wonderful drawing and Bobby's signature. That's Kennedy power!

A Great Piece of Art Packs a Wallop.

A compelling and emotional work of ART will bring your poster to life. A powerful image, integrated with a line of intelligent copy can rock your campaign world. Bold. Clean. Daring. Inspiring. That's what you want. Like this: 

Bo’s Five Easy steps to High-Impact Posters: 1. Know the difference between a POSTER and a SIGN. 2. Dare to say something other than your name. 3. Showcase a powerful piece of ART. 4. Hire an award-winning Creative team or Advertising agency with monster chops to create your posters. 5. Get COMMUNICATION ARTS MAGAZINE. DISCLAIMER: Campaign Follies is not connected in any way to Communication Arts Magazine. It is just a great resource that you can’t do without. While you're at it, order some back issues.

So, there you have it, kids. Another five minute lesson in the Art of Politics from Uncle Bo's Campaign Primer. Remember: Posters GOOD Signs: BAD. Now go on out there and kick some Republican buttocks.

Fair Use Notice

This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml.

If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.