The Do’s and Don’ts of Creating Effective Wild Posting Campaigns
So you’ve finalised your advertising budget and decided that you’re ready to mix things up and try something new: wild posting. When you first heard about wild posting, you may have been a bit confused – after all, it may not be a term you’re used to hearing regularly.
The outdoor advertising world opens your brand up to new opportunities to expose your products or services to diverse audiences in key regions, and can often be another amazing opportunity for you to showcase your creativity and turn your communications into a work of art in and of themselves.
Wild posting advertising is an excellent example of this – when done well, it can be an opportunity to not only showcase your offerings, but truly embed yourself in the community as a memorable brand that people will recognise when they pass your products or ads on the street. That said, like any other form of advertising, you must plan your campaigns carefully to ensure they are successful without being overwhelming, tacky or inefficient.
Ready to create the perfect wild posting campaign? Here are some key do’s and don’ts to guide your strategy:
Do: Research the Legal Factors
Interestingly enough, part of the reason wild advertising is considered so “edgy” is that there’s something about it that feels like it shouldn’t be done. When wild posting first came on the scene, it was largely used to promote bands and underground artists who wanted to generate more public attention.
The difficult truth is that there are a lot of cities that may still have rigid posting laws in place, particularly in certain areas. This is why it’s so important to choose your location carefully – and don’t assume that just because there are other wild postings in the area, that they’re there legally.
Before seeking legal permission to post, be sure to have a clear idea of how long your campaign will run and what it will look like.
Don’t: Choose a Location Without Plenty of Research
If you’ve already worked with other types of outdoor advertising – such as billboards or bus kings – you’re probably well-aware of the importance of location scouting. As with any other form of advertising, the first step is to know your target audience. This allows you to more effectively choose a location that will catch the right attention. However, this is potentially even more important for wild posting.
Whereas billboards and bus wraps can be easily seen by people passing by on foot, bike or in a vehicle, wild ads are more likely to be noticed by those who are walking or moving more slowly right in front of a building (unless they’re very large).
Choose the location for your wild ads carefully by considering the nature of the building you’re posting on, the types of people that are likely to walk past it throughout the day and how exposed it will be to the elements of the city (e.g. taggers, flying debris or water from street puddles, etc.). This is especially important considering your wild ads will be low to the ground and largely unprotected.
Do: Be Strategic About Your Design
When it comes to wild posting, it’s advised to create work that emphasises the art over the text. In other words, don’t put too many words on your poster, and be sure to choose the words you do include very carefully. All outdoor advertising carries the weight of only having a few seconds to capture someone’s attention, and wild posting is no different. With such a fun, edgy advertising modality, how can you design your poster to ensure you’ll catch someone’s eye immediately?
Don’t: Underthink Things
With such a simple medium, it can be tempting to take a “one and done” approach to your wild posting. It’s important to be consistent with your advertising, but don’t let that be a reason to keep all posters the same.
Music and movie posters are two of the most common types of wild advertising, as are posters for some of the world’s top brands. Part of the reason wild advertising works so well for these purposes is that it’s the perfect medium for experimenting with design and finally using those bold colours, fonts and images that you may not have had reason to use anywhere else.
One of wild advertising’s most defining features is the way it relies on repeating the image. Most wild posters will be lined up one after the other, either repeating exactly or repeating a few quality images that tell a story when posted together.
Ultimately, wild advertising is some of the most fun you can have with your marketing campaigns. As long as you’re thoughtful about what you’re doing and where you’re doing it, you may find that wild advertising is one of your most effective approaches.