If you own a business, trying to find new and effective ways to advertise is an ongoing battle. Often, it helps to look at things in a new way. Here are some unique ideas to help jolt your mind.

Escalator Advertising
Most businesses use posters to advertise. That is a great idea…but there are uses for posters that you may not have considered before. For instance, consider designing a poster printing project for use on the steps of an escalator. If you do it right, this can be a tremendous marketing tool. People will look at your poster as they go up or down the escalator. This technique is especially effective if you can place similar, but not identical, posters on each step - in a stop motion sort of way.

Use Humorous Images
I have seen some very interesting shopping bags in the last few weeks. One had a duck on it, and the duck's neck went around the hand hole. When a customer picked up the bag, it looked like he or she was strangling the bird. I'm not sure what the purpose of that image was, but it certainly got my attention.

Try to incorporate interesting or humorous images into your advertising. You will get more attention and, hopefully, more business.

Use Humorous Text
Take a cue from some of our country's more innovative street people. Many of them have found very funny ways to get money from passersby. I recently ran across a website that showed a few examples. For instance, one man was holding a sign that read, "Time Traveler! Help: I need money for a new flux capacitor!" Another read, "Family kidnapped by ninjas! Need money for karate lessons!"

As you have probably learned, some street people actually do quite well, thank you very much. So why not take some advice from them and use some humor in your marketing tools?

Consider Toilet Ads
Placing an ad in a public restroom can also be quite effective. For one thing, you instantly have a captive audience. You can place a poster above a urinal in the men's room, and virtually every patron who uses that urinal will inspect your ad. Of course, this technique would be even more powerful if you are marketing a product that is commonly used by males.
But you can also advertise in the ladies room. Just place posters on the inside of the bathroom stall doors!

Bench Ads
Have you ever considered making an advertisement for people to sit on? Believe it or not, bench advertising is quite effective, and is continually growing in popularity. Simply submit an ad to be placed on city benches (often at bus stops) and passersby will see it. If it is in a high traffic area, or near a traffic stop, it is even better.