How do you reconcile the above Olivet Discourse concerning the End of the Age with Space Marketing, Inc.’s (Roswell, Georgia) attempt to launch mile long Mylar billboards into space? Do you know the implication? I hear Heavens are about to be opened to advertising! I also understand that the billboards would have thirty –day orbits, be visible in the day, and could advertise a corporate logo that would be the same size as the full moon!



The world, so it seems, is disappearing beneath a deluge of logos. In the last 10 years, marketers looking to navigate an ever more competitive marketplace have gladly embraced the gospel of branding with newfound zeal. Brands are now seen as the ultimate long-term asset, i.e. economic engines capable of surviving crises and stimulating profits for years. It is therefore not surprising that companies readily spend millions of naira on brand campaigns; do not blame them when they try to indelibly mark everything the eye can see.

The space billboards, for example, as I learnt, would open the gateway to advertising in zero gravity, as it were, and consequently engender a future of sunsets sponsored by McDonald’s, etc. Try imagining a future where children get used to parts of the night sky being Pepsi, Nike and Virgin Galaxy rather than as Capricorn, Taurus and Virgo! In response to criticisms that this is an effort at turning space into a giant advertising hoarding rather than retaining it as a thing of wonder, Space Marketing says it is using the space billboard for environmentally friendly messages and symbols.

More and more advertisers are resorting to some pretty ingenious tactics to get people to buy their products. In one of Robert Heinlein’s novels, we could see how an entrepreneur raising money for a moon mission designs a rocket that will distribute black powder on the moon in the shape of a Seven-Up logo. He then offers Pepsi the rights to buy an exclusive advertising campaign on the moon! Could the whole issue be about identity? Identity differentiates us, and makes us recognizable by the others as people, brands as well as organizations. After all, the Egyptians branded their cattle so as to identify them 3000 years BC.

But today, the difference is technology. Of course I am not deriding our good old calligraphy, known as shodo in Japanese. Let me briefly talk about shodo’s contribution to Japanese signage. At the end of the 16th century technology of typographical composition was introduced to the country from Europe and Korea. Unfortunately it did not strike a rhythm with the Japanese since their writing system consists of Katakana and Hiragana- which makes more than 100 characters already. In addition the Kanji adds up to several thousands of characters.

The professional calligrapher’s (known as Hikkou) work can easily be seen when walking the streets of Japan. Consider the flashy handwritten characters in front of Japanese supermarkets, e.g. these are POP characters - promotional tools to make people buy things. Handwritten POP (Point of Purchase) stands out more in Japan. It is not surprising to me that the Japanese type of sign painting is dead in most supermarkets in the United States (which I visit periodically) except for Mexican American supermarkets who still engage the services of sign painters to display their weekly specials.

However, innovations continue to be synonymous with signages. Technology is changing the way companies communicate their messages and elevate their brands. The HypoSurface is a good example of how technology can aid signage. It is a dynamic 3-D display system that moves like flag and can be programmed to form words or shapes. Its screen face moves fast at up to 60 mph, while its undulating surface of snake-like scales is capable of producing a wide range of re-planned effects. This signage system was actually displayed earlier this year at the CeBit Technology Fair in Hanover, Germany and reputable marketers like BMW, Lexus and Toyota have shown interest.

We can never wish old media away because a lot of brands are still built on classic media. Take Outdoor for example- probably the oldest medium. Apart from billboards being taken to the moon, they are also being taken beyond two-dimensional displays. Even static billboards can be updated to direct consumers to a website. The idea is to make billboards more engaging and more relevant to specific consumers as they pass through certain locations.

You cannot underrate wind signs as well. Being a moving sign, it attracts attention instantly and it is very easy to handle. It is in fact true that signs that move attract 92% more attention than static ones and the good thing about them is that even a slight breeze causes the central sail to revolve. If you ask me I think it is the most subtly powerful advertising tool available.

Screen printing is no longer exclusive! Try separating screen printing from display graphics and imaging! Digital imaging is on the horizon and the earlier we realize this, the better. There is an urgent need for a revolutionary and visionary trade group representing the interests of signage practitioners in Nigeria. Why, for example, can we not be regularly represented at trade shows happening all over the world?

What should we, signages practitioners be offering brands? From good illustrations and handcrafted lettering to the most advanced multi-colour computer graphics, of course. Our digital printers should be able to output graphics up to 3.2 metres in width and complement latest High Resolution printers. The Nigerian consumer does not see much of small run labels through to full vehicle body wraps and PVC billboards skins.

Other exciting aspects of signages which we can offer corporate as well as product brands should include premise signage, e.g. fascias, walls, windows; office and directory signage, e.g. interior and exterior; footpath signage, e.g. PVC base aluminium panel,

sandwich boards, steel, cut to shape, spinning signs; fleet signage, e.g. vans, cars, trucks, buses, nationwide service; label printing, e.g. self-adhesive labels, die-cut labels, etc.

We are not yet capable of taking signages to the moon in Nigeria but we should be able to contribute to visual branding by creating display systems like pop up displays, teardrop stands, revolving pop up displays and collapsible wall stands. Screen printing is also within the realm of signages, e.g. labels, corflute, aluminium, banners, illuminated signage, etc. Brands could also benefit from magnetic signage like vehicles, fridge, white boards, etc. Not left out is 3D profile-cut signage such as logos, lettering, stencils, metals, wood plastics, etc. Illuminated signage like boxes, backlit, neon and spotlit should add value to the brand as well as PVC banners which include awnings, truck curtains and clear coating.

Are we diligently transiting into digital imaging in general and wide format inkjets in particular? How many of us have regular inkjet printers such as ColourSpan as well as UV curable ink flatbed industrial inkjet printers? We cannot afford not to grow beyond spot colours as the process colours of inkjet’s CMYK pose some challenges. How many screen printers are aware of RIP (certainly not “rest in peace") software which can match spot colours with process colours?

Are you aware that there are inkjet printers which can hold up to 12 different colours, can print 72" wide, are relatively fast, and offer resolution of 1800 dpi? These are some of the challenges the signage industry in Nigeria should live up to. As the US government seeks powers that will allow it to ban billboards in space, could it not be a boon to science? Let us consider the concern of some people: “space advertising will seriously damage, if not destroy, astronomical observation from the planet’s surface. Worse still is the destruction of the pristine beauty of humanity’s view of the universe, by a handful of people for personal profit."

The critics call the effort ARROGANCE! Well, for me, I think the only area of concern is the possibility of these brands veiling the coming of Christ! But he comes with power and great glory! Does that mean he is going to clear (destroy?) anything that would obstruct his coming? The truth is marketers are discovering new ways to captivate and intrigue consumers. More mature brands are unleashing different campaigns for different consumers in varied media almost simultaneously- they integrate messages over multiple channels and blur the lines between advertisements and life itself!

Even the Hikkou has made handwritten types or signages more personalized in a way. He also adds character and mood to the material be it a POP or restaurant signages. The shodo is friendly, warm, formal and authentic. Today trademarks have become a fundamental part of corporate identity as well as the message that it intends to convey to its customers, employees and society at large.

I welcome you to the Age of Signs!