Have you seen the commercial on TV for Stride gum? A representative of the company comes on the screen looking sad. He explains that they know the gum tastes great and lasts a long time, but they now have a problem. Cut to scenes of "factory workers" throwing paper balls and doing anything but working. The rep comes back on the screen and begs the consumer to get rid of their first piece.



We know exactly how that guy feels. Seven years ago we received a call from a representative of the North Charleston Jazz Festival. At that time they ordered 60 pole banners with display hardware. The street banners were to be put on display as part of the advertising campaign for the festival. We made all the color banners, and the Jazz Festival received them along with the hardware to display them. We haven't heard from them since.

So what did we do wrong? Nothing! The pole banners and their hardware are designed in such a way that they last for years. The secret to the longevity is to use a good quality vinyl - we recommend a 13 oz. heavy duty gloss vinyl - and to use the hardware that is designed for pole banners.

How does the hardware for pole banners work?

The design of the hardware is vital to the longevity of pole banners. The hardware for a pole banner comes as a kit. The kit is designed to display the banner safely and lessen the wear and tear on the street banner itself.

It starts with a pair of clamps that are similar to a hose clamp you would find on a car. The heavy duty clamps are fully adjustable, so it can be fit to the size of the pole that you will be displaying from. The clamps hold a heavy duty metal bracket that aligns with the top and bottom of the pole banner.

Attached to the bracket are fiberglass rods that will go through the pockets on the banners. Why fiberglass instead of metal? The fiberglass will flex in winds. If you used a metal rod the wind load could destroy the banner, or the rod could break from the stress. The fiberglass allows a certain amount of movement that protects both the pole banner and the hardware.

Why doesn't the pole banner come off the hardware?

In the past, the pole banners did come off of the hardware in winds. If a gust blew up you could see the banners tumbling down the street. That was when the idea came up to hold the banners in place. While the top and bottom of the banner have a pocket for the fiberglass rods, there is also a small grommet that is placed in the banner just below the pocket. A cable tie is put through the grommet and is then attached to the bracket to keep your pole banner in place.

When you are driving around the Charleston, SC area you may see the pole banners that we created for the Jazz Festival. They still look terrific and have become a staple of their advertising for the show. We, much like the guy in the Stride commercial, would like to say "Can't you please get rid of that first set of pole banners?"