The "Burma Shave" signs, road ads that rhyme...

[Dien Rice]

Originally Posted by Richard Dennis

The signs are fun to read, of course, and to remember. But the biggest reason for reading them is to understand the advertising model and see what parts of it can be adapted to whatever you're doing today:

1. Quick attention-grabbing ads: a set of 6 signs, and each sign is just 2 or 3 words.
2. Most Burma Shave sign sets are mini-stories. A lot of people struggle with how to tell an effective story quickly. Burma Shave signs are a great model.
3. Effective humor can build a relationship with your prospect and put them in the right frame of mind; attempts at humor are very, very difficult to get right in advertising. Usually it either goes unrecognized, or it's idiotic, and it's often plain offensive.
4. Anticipation. When I was a kid in the 1950s, back before the interstate system, I remember riding thru the farmland of Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Indiana, always alert for the next group of Burma Shave signs. What could be more effective than getting people to look forward to your advertising?

Hi Richard,

Thanks also for sharing these insights!

I can just imagine the thrill of seeing these enthralling Burma shave signs as people drove along American's highways in those days. It's a pity that there's nothing similar today!

I hadn't thought about it as deeply as you have, so I learned a lot from your points...

I like especially your point #2:

"Most Burma Shave sign sets are mini-stories. A lot of people struggle with how to tell an effective story quickly. Burma Shave signs are a great model."

The more I read, the more it gets drummed into my head the importance of conveying a story - even if it is just with a few words (or with a picture). Conveying a story with a just a few words is a very powerful skill to have...

Thanks for sharing your experiences and also your insights... Your points are absolutely right, and thanks for helping me to understand the value of these more deeply...!

Best wishes,

Dien