Popularity Contest

Interested in improving your sales to political campaigns? Then read on for some quick pointers on making the absolute most of some of the most popular election items.

YARD SIGNS
Quality Control: To get the most mileage from your yard signs, look for weatherproof materials such as 
corrugated plastic that will easily survive a long period of outdoor exposure. Use simple, clear copy without time-sensitive words such as "elect" or "re-elect," because such terms could make the signs useless for a second election cycle, therefore forcing your client to spend on a whole new batch of signs. "Go with the name, what you're running for, and that's basically all you need," said Rick Nielsen, CAS, director of sales and marketing for Pilgrim Plastics, Brockton, Mass.

Artwork Advice: Carl Gerlach, director of marketing, Gill Studios Inc., Lenexa, Kan., cautioned against too-thin signs, since if you go with a double-sided imprint bright sunlight can cause a bleed-through effect, the resulting overlap confusing your design with its inverse on the other side. He cited 3⁄16" as a good thickness to prevent such overlap issues.

BALLOONS
Quality Control: Make sure your balloons are thick and made from a durable enough material. "Balloon quality directly affects the flying/float time with helium," said Mark Jenkins, MAS, sales director for Pioneer Balloon Company, Wichita, Kan. He added that a high-quality balloon is typically richer in color and photographs better than those of lesser quality, along with the obvious benefit of being less-likely to pop.

Artwork Advice: "Typically political logos are very simplistic in design and wording, which lends itself perfectly to a balloon imprint," said Jenkins. He suggested designs that can convey a message from 5-to-20 feet away, and to keep larger balloons in mind in the event of photographic or video press coverage.