This Post Is Not About Awnings
A two-mile—yes, two-mile—stretch of just one road near my home north of Wilmington, Delaware. Here you see 27 awnings; I missed at least three.
Can you do it, when it’s been done?
NO.
What’s this post about for you?
Grow and be well,
Kelly Erickson
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27 September 2008, 8:27 am
Hmm – available space for advertising? Or maybe just doing something different or unique with your awning… I mean, this is a 2-mile stretch as you say – how the heck do you differentiate yourself from everyone else?
If one of these businesses belonged to me, I’d do something with one of these awnings so that your eyes would bleed when you saw it, and you’d need to come in to find out what I was all about.
-Brett
Brett Legree’s last blog post…viking fridays – be sparing of speech.
27 September 2008, 8:47 am
Brett,
Bleeding eyes? LOL! They already bore me so much, my eyes do bleed going down the street. That’s a cumulative thing, though.
If two-thirds of them ripped the awnings off and came up with a fresher answer for their entries, I’d be in heaven.
There are two-mile stretches in other places with other ad nauseam problems, but this is mine. Drives me crazy, but what I thought of most while I photographed isn’t awnings; it’s how often businesses are being just one “of” a million. (Yes, this post is the first riff off our email exchange.)
Perfect external demonstration of not finding your unique Vision.
Regards,
Kelly
27 September 2008, 9:55 am
This awning things must be a local Delaware Phenomenon…you don’t see that kind of stuff anywhere (at least, not here in Canada).
To me, this post/collage is just about pleasing colors and artistic whimsy. (YES…!! That’s the sometimes-tortured intellectual side of the Friar talking!)
Friar’s last blog post…Guest Blogger: Friar’s Mom
27 September 2008, 10:01 am
Okay…how about this one?
Awnings protect windows from the sun and heavy rain, and provide a bit of color and visual appeal to an otherwise dreary building.
We, as individuals, are like the windows on the Building of Life. We are an essential part of the building, yet there are times, we are fragile and need protection.
Our friends and family are the “awnings” that protect us from the harsh realities, from the “storms” that sometimes challenge our existence.
(Pffft….heh heh….BWHAHAHAHH!).
Sorry, I can’t help it.
Friar’s last blog post…Guest Blogger: Friar’s Mom
27 September 2008, 10:06 am
Kelly,
Aha! The student *was* listening to the master, after all… I like this very much.
Now, off to work on my eye-bleeding business idea. Actually… there’s an idea in that, you know.
-Brett
PS – Friar, you bugger!
27 September 2008, 10:08 am
Friar,
That’s odd. They are kind of pretty when they’re all together, not uninspired and blah like in real life.
I love your genius from afar. CTIS (Closet Tortured Intellectual Syndrome) again!!!
‘Cuz up close, you must really know how to get people’s goat.
Regards,
Kelly
27 September 2008, 12:44 pm
@Kelly
Though seriously, it’s a colorful montage. It catches the eye. It could be printed up and turned into a greeting card.
My Mom does stuff like this (So did my Dad). Using Photoshop and printing out home-made cards to give to friends.
(Providing you have time for that…though)
Friar’s last blog post…Guest Blogger: Friar’s Mom
27 September 2008, 1:05 pm
Inside of card reads:
27 September 2008, 2:30 pm
Kelly,
You could sell that. I saw some greeting cards like that. The one that always sticks in my head said:
“Whoever said it was better to give than to receive probably had syphilis.”
Brett Legree’s last blog post…viking fridays – be sparing of speech.
27 September 2008, 5:16 pm
Brett,
That is brilliant. Friar could do a line like that. Heck, I could design ‘em and Friar could think of ratty things to say. I’d run out of ratty much faster than our dear Friar would.
(That’s what the kid wants to do as a side-line, besides being an architect and an all-around cutie. She wants to be a greeting-card designer.)
Reminds me of the place Naomi linked to in her latest post—did you click through?
Warning! Make sure you have a minute or thirty! I spent way too long at the site, doing a lot of laughing out loud. This was one of my favorites.
Later,
Kelly
P.S. I can be the master? Then keep working, young grasshopper.
27 September 2008, 5:37 pm
Kelly,
Yeah, I think so too – I could see Friar saying that, in his Friar way. Oh yes, I saw that link… I think I’ll be sending some of those out for Christmas, you know, to my in-laws
Well, technically you’d be the mistress, but… err… umm… yeah…
-Brett
Brett Legree’s last blog post…viking fridays – be sparing of speech.
27 September 2008, 9:51 pm
At least they’re located near the bankruptcy courthouse.
So my question is, how much are you charging for awning advertising space? Hehe.
Amy Derby’s last blog post…Worldwide Play Day
27 September 2008, 10:05 pm
Amy,
With the turmoil lately, I’ll bet there’s a line at that particular courthouse. All these folks will have to wait until the gazillion banks headquartered here are through. Aren’t you glad you don’t have to deal with it?
The little person and I drove the street today on an errand. Turns out I missed at least seven. Holy moly.
It’s like some awning-virus flared up and took all their good sense. It’s not new, and it’s definitely not fresh, people!
Later,
Kelly
29 September 2008, 4:13 am
In Spain, especially on anything with food inside the window, awnings are necessary. Unfortunately they are almost all completely boring.
What do I get from this post?
If for the sake of practicalities you must do something, then make it memorable and a way to extend your brand and make it more visible instead of looking like all the rest or even worse making you *less* visible.
Which reminds me to redo the sales copy for the workshop and play with the format of my contact form.
Alex Fayle | Someday Syndrome’s last blog post…The Simple Life: Nicole Stevens Interview
29 September 2008, 6:50 am
Alex,
Ah, the sun of my beloved Spain! Yes, we have sun here—oh, do we—but I wouldn’t lay the blame there, especially since very few of the above have anything that could spoil or fade in their windows. (Also, the reason it began to irritate me a couple of months ago is that it isn’t everywhere in greater Philadelphia, just epidemic on this stretch of road.)
I agree with your lesson, and note the one in the very top left corner: if I could tear off all the others, I’d let that pub keep theirs. It’s the only one that actually adds to the visual and helps you make a guess as you’re whizzing by as to what their Purpose is. They got that lesson before you even gave it!
Until later,
Kelly
29 September 2008, 7:40 am
If it’s an epidemic on just that street, perhaps there was a VERY good awning salesperson who had that strip. What lesson can we learn from that?
Alex Fayle | Someday Syndrome’s last blog post…The Simple Life: Nicole Stevens Interview
29 September 2008, 8:18 am
Alex,
LOL LOL. Please play in my sandbox every day. You get it, man. You really get it. This post is about seventeen things if you squint hard, isn’t it?
Later,
Kelly
29 September 2008, 8:54 am
Kelly, when it popped up in my reader before I read the post, I thought “oh how pretty.” The different awnings all together made quite a lovely picture. So first impression, after reading, each awning though with the same basic framework is individual. If you look at just one, though individual it’s not so remarkable but when added to all the other individuals, the total becomes more beautiful than its parts. Much like mankind. My next thought was about the fight for differentiation when given the same elements with which to work but that thought was not nearly as poetic.
29 September 2008, 11:07 am
Um….I like the awnings….I think they’re real puhr-ty.
Urban Panther’s last blog post…You may mock me if you wish
29 September 2008, 1:47 pm
Karen,
I guess I accidentally used a designer’s eye on this frankly ugly, monotonous stretch, because puhr-ty seems to be the consensus. Goodness knows, that’s true, mankind is frequently more amazing en masse, though I’m privileged to know individuals including present company who shine all on their own.
Differentiation—that’s the stuff I live for, in people or in businesses. One IN a million, as the saying goes. Not one OF a million.
Panther,
Purely unintentional. I thought originally about getting all organized, making the blue row of soldiers, the red row, the striped row, then I said nah, jumbled like they are. And somehow jumbled made them seem like something more. You never know.
Until later,
Kelly
29 September 2008, 9:27 pm
So, if I had a business on this street, and I painted my store front in shades of gray and TORE OFF THAT BLASTED AWNING, I would stand attract attention. Perhaps being different is lesson in itself?
Jamie Simmerman’s last blog post…Pick the Brain of Harrison McLeod of Men With Pens
29 September 2008, 10:29 pm
Jamie,
Ha ha, well said. 20 miles south of Philadelphia. C’mon down, there’s an old ribs place with a sad red awning, just begging for you to tear it off and paint the place grey.
Until later,
Kelly
29 September 2008, 10:31 pm
P.S. Jamie—My comment’s stuck in moderation at your blog.