Gas Station Advertising

In a recent blog, I discussed how eye-catching photos in a bar made me curious and caused me to look at them extensively throughout the night. This proved just how effective bar advertising can be, as there is usually a significant amount of time spent waiting around in a crowded bar. This experience reminded me of another memorable brush I had with bar advertising several months ago.

I was at an upscale restaurant and bar downtown for happy hour with several friends. The waitress brought our drinks and set them down on coasters. While we sipped our drinks and waited for our food, we noticed that the coasters had several round holes in them. Upon closer inspection, the holes were marked with numbers and we could fit our fingers through them. Did you guess what the coasters were yet? They were advertisements for a local engagement ring company, and the holes were used to measure a woman’s ring size. We thought this was very clever, and definitely one of the most unique ways to advertise that we had ever seen. It would have been very convenient if one of us was without our boyfriend and had wanted to drop hints about getting engaged!

I was out at a bar last weekend with a friend when I noticed that there were funny pictures posted all over the place. I had never seen these pictures before, so I was curious as to where they came from and who was in them. I looked at them while I waited in line to order a drink, while I waited for the bartender to pour my drink, and while I waited for my friend to come back from the bathroom. I finally figured out that they were all 8 ½” x 11” printouts of embarrassing photos of a guy who was having his 30th birthday at the bar.

Despite this being an unusual, funny idea, it really helped me realize the power and effectiveness of unique bar advertising. There were several points in the night when I was simply standing around waiting for something, and the photos gave me something interesting to look at while I waited. Imagine if your company’s ad was prominently placed in a bar for people to look at! The key is to make it interesting and even unusual, so it will hold your target’s interest longer and increase their chances of recalling it later.