Ads Who designs them for you - Plumbing Zone

SewerRatz · 08-15-2010, 12:06 PM

I see all these new ads in the yellow pages, coupon mailers and such. Some are really good and some are just way to busy and others are super cheesy.

So I was wondering who you all have design your ads for you. Do you do it yourself or have an advertising agency do it for you?

Here is an ad from the yellow pages when we advertised in them. I did some updating to it recently, the updates are nothing major, just added our web address, and some other wording here and there. In general the ad is still the same. My father sat down and designed this ad back in the early 70's. You do not see ads like this anymore with the arrows, the old school fonts and hand drawn line are anymore.

I like it since it has a retro feel to it. Any comments good or bad is appreciated. To view a larger version of this click on my photobucket link http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y29...w_revised2.jpg

TheMaster · 08-15-2010, 12:16 PM

The lady who worked for the agency that sold me my yellow page ad helped me. She was sweet. Smelled good too.

SewerRatz · 08-15-2010, 12:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheMaster

The lady who worked for the agency that sold me my yellow page ad helped me. She was sweet. Smelled good too.

The yellow page people came up with a real cheesy ad my dad did not like at all. So he sat them down and put this add togather. They just cleaned it up and told him it would not work. Thing was it had our phones ringing off the wall till the year they put some othe outfits phone number in our ad.

I am thinking of moving the 800 # to where the arrow is pointing to, and move the other numbers with the addresses down and put the line are drawings of the w/c faucet and pump where the other phone #'s are.

This way when they read the line that says free estimates for information call its pointing to a phone # I am also working on a line art drawing of a backflow prevention device to add to the group.

PLUMBER_BILL · 08-15-2010, 12:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SewerRatz

The yellow page people came up with a real cheesy ad my dad did not like at all. So he sat them down and put this add togather. They just cleaned it up and told him it would not work. Thing was it had our phones ringing off the wall till the year they put some othe outfits phone number in our ad.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SewerRatz

I am thinking of moving the 800 # to where the arrow is pointing to, and move the other numbers with the addresses down and put the line are drawings of the w/c faucet and pump where the other phone #'s are.

This way when they read the line that says free estimates for information call its pointing to a phone # I am also working on a line art drawing of a backflow prevention device to add to the group.

Looks good! Are you running a black & white add on a yellow page? Couple of those types here they stand out.

No more yellow page for me ... I dropped it all back in 2007 ... I'm the only guy here and I have enough to keep the old man busy.

But not to be outdone, I do have ... http://www.parrsplumbing.com/ADD.html

clarkplumber562 · 08-15-2010, 12:50 PM

i did a billboard and the company thought my logo was so cheesy that that created it me one for $50.00 and it changed my whole image, i have there website if needed

eeded

**Nathan** · 08-15-2010, 04:19 PM

I've had some designs done at 99designs.com and liked the results. Just depends on how professional your going for.

One thing I'd say though, you need to control the message. These are designers not marketers.

Master Mark · 08-15-2010, 06:12 PM

Sewer Ratz....I thought that you and the yellow page people were at each others throats...

what happenned, did you and the yellow page lady kiss and make up???

Your add looks real good.....might I suggest one thing??

I have the same thing in my add, in the top right hand corner that is basically dead air space, I suggest you put a huge checkmark....... It makes your add stand out like a sore tumb and sometimes they think that it was already marked.... Draws their attention to that space every time.

I dont think you ought to give anyone a two year warranty on a tree rooot call
thats gonna hurt you ...... one year should be enough

actually your idea of putting the 800 # at the end of the arrow is not too bad either.

I also think its a good idea to make your web address larger....bu tit really looks good....

now tell me what happenned with the on-going yellow page saga.

SewerRatz · 08-15-2010, 06:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PLUMBER_BILL

Looks good! Are you running a black & white add on a yellow page? Couple of those types here they stand out.

No more yellow page for me ... I dropped it all back in 2007 ... I'm the only guy here and I have enough to keep the old man busy.

But not to be outdone, I do have ... http://www.parrsplumbing.com/ADD.html

We been out of the yellow pages since 2006. An old customer of ours thought we went out of business when she did not see the ad in the book, but was relieved when she called and we where still here. She is the one that gave me the clean copy.

We where paying over 5k a month for a vertical half page ad. The Sprint book when Sprint still owned it offered us a full page ad at half the price. So for a while we where paying $7500 a month to be in the Donnelly book(veridical half page) and the Sprint book (full page) and was getting tons of calls. But sadly Sprint got out of the yellow page business right around 2006, and we had to drop Donnelly due to their huge error that they did not want to make good with us back in 2005.

I plan on printing this ad on golden rod paper and pass them out as fliers and have them in mailers. My father and I am hoping some of the old customers that may thought we went under since they no longer see the ad will recognize it. Also I like the fact the ad is retro looking and have how long we been in business might appeal to new customers. I am going to be adding the BBB logo as well. I just had a customers tell me I was about $200 more in my price to change out a 50 gallon water heater but she went with us because we have an A+ ratting and only one complaint in the last 36 months. As to the cheaper company had an F ratting and 100's of complaints.

SewerRatz · 08-15-2010, 06:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Master Mark

Sewer Ratz....I thought that you and the yellow page people were at each others throats...

what happenned, did you and the yellow page lady kiss and make up???

Your add looks real good.....might I suggest one thing??

I have the same thing in my add, in the top right hand corner that is basically dead air space, I suggest you put a huge checkmark....... It makes your add stand out like a sore tumb and sometimes they think that it was already marked.... Draws their attention to that space every time.

I dont think you ought to give anyone a two year warranty on a tree rooot call
thats gonna hurt you ...... one year should be enough

actually your idea of putting the 800 # at the end of the arrow is not too bad either.

I also think its a good idea to make your web address larger....bu tit really looks good....

now tell me what happenned with the on-going yellow page saga.

Lol yea we still are not getting along. They won their cases we are appealing them. I am taking our old ad that my father designed 30 some years ago and updating it then going to print it out on Golden Rod paper and make fliers out of it.

The very original of this ad when my father first put it together (before Sprint book moved stuff around) A-Archer was right at the arrow and the line art was to the right of the name also the ad's edge was at the end of the name, it was originally a half page ad. So when they made it full page there was a lot of dead space from them moving things around.

I was thinking of putting the BBB logo in the dead space, but I do like the check mark idea too.

Clark sometimes cheesy gets the calls, I like your AD you have pictured there. I take it that was the billboard ad? I can see that standing out. I am not sure about billboards for us around here there are 1000's of billboards and I am not sure if the ad will work or not.

I will check out the website. I have looked at other sites that said they would create an image for us, but I was not to happy with their past works.

Master Mark · 08-15-2010, 06:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SewerRatz

We where paying over 5k a month for a vertical half page ad. The Sprint book when Sprint still owned it offered us a full page ad at half the price. So for a while we where paying $7500 a month to be in the Donnelly book(veridical half page) and the Sprint book (full page) and was getting tons of calls. But sadly Sprint got out of the yellow page business right around 2006, and we had to drop Donnelly due to their huge error that they did not want to make good with us back in 2005.

.

most guys want to only spend a few hundred dollars a month and they never get dog crap back for the cheap effort..

people dont realize the large, massive , number of calls you get when you are doing that much advertiseing...

I do remember when you spend 5-- 6 k or more a month you better have the trucks and men ready to roll. cause the calls will come in...

if you were on good terms with yellow pages, would you ever do 5k a month again ??..

.
we are comfortable where we are with our advertisement
program , because we got very good placement on the internet I dont feel the need to spluge again in the yellow pages..

08-15-2010, 12:50 PM	#5
clarkplumber562 Member Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 40 My Photos	i did a billboard and the company thought my logo was so cheesy that that created it me one for $50.00 and it changed my whole image, i have there website if neededeeded

08-15-2010, 04:19 PM	#6
Nathan Administrator Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 1,209 My Photos	I've had some designs done at 99designs.com and liked the results. Just depends on how professional your going for. One thing I'd say though, you need to control the message. These are designers not marketers. __________________ Nathan Here to serve

08-15-2010, 06:12 PM	#7
Master Mark philosopher and statesmen Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Indianapolis indiana ... Posts: 2,371 My Photos	Sewer Ratz....what did you do?? Sewer Ratz....I thought that you and the yellow page people were at each others throats... what happenned, did you and the yellow page lady kiss and make up??? Your add looks real good.....might I suggest one thing?? I have the same thing in my add, in the top right hand corner that is basically dead air space, I suggest you put a huge checkmark....... It makes your add stand out like a sore tumb and sometimes they think that it was already marked.... Draws their attention to that space every time. I dont think you ought to give anyone a two year warranty on a tree rooot call thats gonna hurt you ...... one year should be enough actually your idea of putting the 800 # at the end of the arrow is not too bad either. I also think its a good idea to make your web address larger....bu tit really looks good.... now tell me what happenned with the on-going yellow page saga. __________________ God created man, Sam Colt made them equal." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swkq2E8mswI http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQMO1eyMRuM Last edited by Master Mark; 08-15-2010 at 06:17 PM..

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08-15-2010, 12:16 PM	#2
TheMaster Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 6,437 My Photos	The lady who worked for the agency that sold me my yellow page ad helped me. She was sweet. Smelled good too.