hi friend

Waay back in the earlydays of the internet (1996)....I set up a website for my wife's Antique Shoppe. I made a Sign on a BIG piece of white sign board with BIG, BOLD Black letters of the site's URL.

I put this sign in the trunk of my car and whenever I saw a "Camera Possibility"...I'd get the sign out and try to get it ON Camera to get some FREE exposure for our website.

Examples:
1) There was a Grand-Opening of a Super Market. The local tv reporter was interviewing the Owner of the store AND....behind the interviewee was a guy holding a BIG SIGN with BIG,BOLD,BLACK letters. (Sure nuff, my sign was ON the 6pm News!)

2) We were sitting on our favorite beach when I saw a TV Reporter and Cameraman drive up. I watched as they set up the Camera TriPod. Well...out on the water were about 20 Kayakers...coming in. This was unique and different and NEWSWORTHY occasion and they didn't want to miss it....because the Kayakers were Kayaking IN The Pacific Ocean. This hadn't been done much before. I saw what was happening, ran to my car and got my SIGN...with the BIG,BOLD,Black letters....and proceeded to walk behind the kayakers as they were being interviewed Sure nuff...6pm News program had the reporter interviewing the Kayakers about their experience and...right behind then...IN the picture all the time...was a guy holding a Sign with BIG,BOLD,Black letters!

3) Santa was due to arrive at our local CourtHouse at a certain time for our Tree-Lighting ceremony. Well....here comes Santa...riding on top of a FireTruck tossing candy to the crowd and...at the TOP of the CourtHouse Steps....directly behind Santa...was a guy holding a Sign with BIG,BOLD,BLACK letters...and sure nuff....the Sign APPEARED on the News AND in the photos of the Newspapers.

4) We were on an Agri-Tour at a local Winery and a tv reporter and cameraman were there to interview the owner about the NEW facility. Well....the cameraman set up the camera to aim down a row of GrapeVines. At the end of the row was a guy holidng a SIGN with BIG,BOLD,BLACK letters and...sure nuff....the Sign WAS ON the 6pm News Show!

There were many more occasions when I was able to get my Sign ON CAMERA and....it DID bring us MANY visitors to our Antique Shoppe.

And...nowadays...whenever my wife and I are out and I see a TV Camera...I get the "Ol' Urge" to get IN the shot when the Red Light goes on. BUT, she restrains me. Alas...I have to just sit back and watch what's happening instead of BEING IN...what's happening.

Thanks for letting me "pull this off one of my Memory Hooks".

Don Alm
http://www.midasreports.com