Friday, April 06, 2012

Strapline

Straplines and folds are important.

They are important in life (particularly if you plan any nude sunbathing) and they are doubly important in marketing (where they mean totally different things).

It doesn't matter whether it's a poster, a flier, an advertizing leaflet or even a web site.

You need to get the important stuff above the strapline. Above the fold. With a web site it is good practise not to force your prosepective customer to scroll down too much. People don't like it. It is tiresome. Carpel tunnel syndrome, etc, and all those other health problems that regularly afflict couch potatoes (e.g. swollen right wrists).

Get the exciting stuff up there at the top. Right up where people can see it. All the sexy stuff needs to be there in pole position - the glossy photos, the amazing once-in-a-lifetime prices, the bogof offers, the shiny teeth, the perky ice-cube hardened breasts of your advertizing model (doubly important if the model happens to be female).

People shouldn't have to scroll downwards, or unfold a sheet of A4 to get to the point of what you are trying to sell.

Doubly important is where you place your banner headline.

I cannot stress this enough.

Take a look at the photo above. I scanned this advertizing flier into my computer yesterday exactly as I pulled it from the envelope. It illustrates perfectly the point I am trying to make.

Now. I know what it is supposed to say. Suite Clearance Event.

But that fold... occurring where it does.

When I first saw it, I could have sworn blind the U in suite was an H...

And, yes, when I opened it further I realized that, yes indeed, it should have been an H.

Tits and teeth, people. Tits and teeth.



29 comments:

Between Me and You said...

Shudda went to Specsavers!
I have to scroll down anyhoo because I have a notebook and the screen's totsy (Scottish colloquialism meaning 'tiny'). If the words are worth reading, no biggie. Have a Joyous Easter Weekend.

Steve said...

Nana Go-Go: same to...
















you...!

Löst Jimmy said...

I like your 'Chess' tagline!

Gorilla Bananas said...

You must be one of the small minority who even opened the envelope. Letters are history. Just send people fake titties with an address tattooed on them. That would have got you onto your scooter.

Rol said...

When I worked in advertising (although it wasn't print), strapline meant something else entirely - same as tagline or slogan. Shite meant exactly the same thing though.

Steve said...

Löst Jimmy: one night in Bangkok and the world was my oyster...

Gorilla Bananas: that's a great idea but I'm not sure they'd fit through my letterbox.

Rol: shite is always shite. It's a comforting constant.

Löst Jimmy said...

I like your "Chess" tagline!

Steve said...

Löst Jimmy: so much so it's worth sayin' twice!

the fly in the web said...

Gracious! I shall now be hunting for a blog template offering tits and teeth as a header....

Steve said...

The fly in the web: I may have to change my blog title to Boobertropolis...

Suburbia said...

L
o
v
e

i
t
!

Steve said...

Suburbia: nice marketing move!

Unknown said...

Hahaha... Titropolis... You're a laugh a minute, you are! Love it!

Steve said...

Hannah: breastopolis? Mamopolis? I can keep this up all night...! ;-)

Nota Bene said...

Were they referring to clearing out the shite fliers?

About Last Weekend said...

Perfection. In fact I've been using the word straplines a lot lately as been thinking about changing my blog, using strapline; Nonsense with a kiwi accent. My American friends say they don't like the use of the word nonsense and I don't think they would get the SHITE either...

Steve said...

Nota Bene: I assumed it was a laxative festival.

About Last Weekend: Amercians not getting any shite? That can't be right!

John Going Gently said...

thought it was tits and ass!
or is that pure hollywood! x

Steve said...

John: nope, that's just ass.

TimeWarden said...

Even more important is that they are factually correct and properly punctuated!

Steve said...

TimeWarden: I doubt advertizers have heard of Spellchecker... let alone used it!

Being Me said...

Well thank god they weren't actually having a suit clearance. Now THAT I couldn't possibly have been forgiven.

Being Me said...

That comment did not even make sense. It had one too many words in it, I realised after I hit Publish and did that slow-motion "Noooooooo!". Ah well, there's no going back. You have it now.

Steve said...

Being Me: it's OK. I read between the lines. I understood. Sorry you had to do the Edvard Munch face because of my blog! ;-)

The bike shed said...

No doubt the offer can't wait - one day only. And was there interest free credit and four years to pay?

Steve said...

The Bike Shed: 4 years to pay... sounds like a suspended sentence, doesn't it?

Marginalia said...

You get some really exciting stuff thro' your letterbox in Lemington. How do you cope with such thrills.

Owen said...

A failure to plan is a plan to fail !

Steve said...

Marginalia: cocaine and Tixylix.

Owen: I wish I'd planned to put it that simply.