Category: Marketing - Reading the Signs

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The Upside-Down Joiner

25/8/2019

I am reasonably well used to seeing letters reversed.

There is a photograph in our kitchen of our then 5 year old in junior infants, having written and coloured a page with two of the three reversible letters in the name reversed (others being symmetrical). I have seen reversed letters in engravings on Old Youghal Road and Liscleary Cemetery.

Until my recent walkabout in Phibsboro, I do not think that I had seen an upside down letter – but I definitely have now.

I did not spot it immediately. Something just didn’t look right and it took a while to click.

On the other side of the building the ‘J’ is correctly aligned. Maybe it is to provoke thought or conversation among those stuck in traffic on the Phibsboro Road……

Or maybe not.

Fancy That, In Tralee

8/8/2019

It is not just in Liscannor that they have ‘Fancy Goods’. They have also been spotted in Knock, and Fancy Cakes were in Amiens St in Dublin. Mallow had a warehouse full.

Recently in Tralee, I was delighted to see ‘Fancy Goods’ still written big on the face of a shop.

I wonder if, in the cyclical nature of things, whether there might be some marketing type person wondering if the time has come to re-introduce the lucky bag imagery of ‘Fancy Goods’.

When is Money Not Real Money?

19/8/2018

When it is Brown Thomas money, of course

Once again, the Marketing gurus get to me. They fall even further in my opinion.

The purchaser would not actually have received money as interpreted as legal tender that could be used anywhere.

A Voucher may be in the bag – but not what most people interpret as money

An Elite Loser

12/8/2018

I stopped this morning to ponder how one becomes an ‘Elite Loser’ – not an ordinary loser, but a quality top of the range variety.

The local coffee shop has a display tree of business cards and this one was in prime position. It immediately attracted my eyes.

I have spotted a number of tweets highlighting the importance of font selection. This morning, a lot of them came flooding back.

Maybe the intent was to tempt one from outside the target market to consider the company name, and possibly remember it for a long long time. If so, it worked.

Laura Ashley’s Bank Holiday Conundrum

1/6/2018

Does Laura Ashley ever learn?

The UK Spring Bank Holiday is the last Monday in May. In Ireland, the first Monday in June is the Bank Holiday. I have known this for years. I cannot recall how or why I learned it but it is not difficult to establish. Or so I thought.

I smiled last year on Saturday 27th May when I saw the Bank Holiday marketing in the window of Laura Ashley in Merchant’s Quay Shopping Centre, wondering if the local staff had advised the UK Marketing gurus as to their screw-up and us not having a bank holiday here for another week.

I smiled even further the following Thursday thinking the local staff had taken matters into their own hands; bastardised the posters; and, extended the discount for a second weekend.

Roll on one year and no lesson learned. The 40% discount was back – for the UK Bank Holiday weekend of 24th – 29th May.

It appears though that local staff must have got reprimanded last year for the second discount weekend. This morning there was a ‘Spring and Summer’ promotion, no special Bank Holiday discount on the weekend when we actually have a Bank Holiday.

And to think that Ireland has been a separate state for only 96 years……

Hello! Sex?

13/2/2018

The longer I reside on this planet, the more I become convinced that my mind will never become in tune with the mind of those involved in Marketing and Branding. They have provided many items that have provoked blog posts hereabouts.

Sunday morning in Dunshaughlin, I spotted this van and stopped for a while to consider how many ways there might be to pronounce it. No matter how I tried, I could not get past ‘HOW. SEX.’

For those of a certain vintage raised on movies of Cowboys and Indians, ‘HOW’ was a greeting repeated during streetgames and elsewhere. Raise one’s hand, palm facing away, say ‘HOW’ – was as good as ‘HELLO’ for most to whom it was addressed.

Today, I learned that ‘HAU’ was a term of greeting used by some American Indian tribes only. The movies did not distinguish and it was used by all – Sioux, Choctaw, Apache, and many more.

The pronunciation has rolled around my brain since Sunday morning and the best I can come up with is a speed dating type scenario – ‘HOW! SEX?’

I am not sure that is what SHOMERA or HOUSX intended. I suspect that would like their garden rooms to have many possible functions.

The website address on the van does not exist and is available to buy. The CIRI Register has a different website to the van.

Maybe the branding is a devious ploy for pedantic bloggers to spread the name – if so, it worked.

Cow’s Head

14/4/2017

We often visit Ennis – you might have gathered that from the number of blog posts.

Our butcher of choice in Ennis is Kelly’s in The Market – absolutely lovely beef. I have been in the shop a few times a year for many years. I have walked past very much more frequently – regularly on the way to Scéal Eile.

It was only today that I noticed the fascia on the shopfront.

Maybe it is new. Maybe it has only recently been redecorated. Ot maybe those heads passed me by for so long.

Regardless of the reason why I didn’t see them before, I do like.

I think they are great.

Stealing The Eye Out Of Your Head

13/4/2017

Or should I say, ‘Stealing the ‘I’ from your alarm system’.

I spotted this van this morning on the way for my coffee fix.

I first wondered if ‘NTRUDER’ was a branded alarm system. Then I noted that ‘INTRUDER’ was printed elsewhere on the vehicle.

I walked on smiling in admiration at the person who stole from a security company.

Going, Going, Gone

11/4/2017

I took this photograph at lunchtime today, 11th April.

I was somewhat puzzled at the message on what was obviously a vacated premises.

It appears that the ‘move’ has already started – but may not be finished with new premises.

Is ‘will re-open at new premises on 25th April’ more correct.

Does ‘We are moving’ not have a connotation that they will be remaining until that date, 25th April?

Maybe I need to learn all of the possible uses of the verb, ‘move’.

Maybe, just like ‘Hearing’, it is an advanced notice.

Or maybe I need to learn to ignore some signs…..

To Err is Human

22/10/2016

'To', 'Two' & 'Too' are not probably as deadly as Live, Earth & Neutral

Many thanks to NK who spotted this on his recent trip to the U.K.. He, correctly thought it would spark an interest hereabouts.

Once again, the construction sector confirms that spelling and building are not natural bedfellows.

Paul’s Barber Shop

22/7/2016

Maybe I am not alone.

Paul’s Barber Shop is at Dillon’s Cross in Cork. The telephone number on the shopfront has only six digits – we have had seven digits for many years now.

This gives me to suspect that the branding on the shop window post-dates the shopfront.

I wonder if there is another northside pedant out there and if he who pointed out the lack of the apostrophe. I wonder if he mentioned it before or after a haircut…..

Another Extention

19/7/2016

I suspect that there is only one ‘word’ who has provided a source for four separate blogs – that ‘word’ being ‘extention’.

This van was spotted in Tralee – so that makes two Kerry builders and two from Cork leading the campaign for an alternative spelling of ‘extension’ to be included in the dictionaries.

I promise that any future blogs on extension will include more than one ‘extention’ – so may take a while.

Making a Balls of it

1/7/2016

BALLUSTRADE - BALUSTRADE

Yet again, the construction sector comes up trumps – signwriting on a van demanding another blog entry.

For once, my three online dictionaries are in agreement and I am standing behind the same balustrade.

Some words are pronounced differently in Cork to elsewhere - committee (or ‘comet’ ‘tee’) being one. It may be that Carrigtwohill is striking out and starting its own spelling regime.

Or maybe it is just a balls-up.

Specsavers – Should have gone to consistency class

27/6/2016

I spotted this sign recently on Cook Street.

I stopped and considered. I would have used ‘have moved’ as I had filed Specsavers as plural. Thinking about it, I assumed the word ‘Specsavers’ was being treated as a singular ending in ‘s’ – fair enough….. for a while.

I believe that being consistent is an admirable quality – I have mentioned this more than once hereabouts.

Seemingly, this does not apply to Specsavers.

The Specsavers website has many references to the singular – Specsavers was; Specsavers was thrilled. It also has a few to the plural – Specsavers Ireland are proud; Specsavers announced that they; and, at Specsavers we.

One webpage even combines both – “Specsavers Kilkenny is thrilled” and “Specsavers Kilkenny have always supported”.

Establishing if you are singular or plural does not appear to be one of the reasons you should have gone to Specsavers…

Rubbing out Rubbish

15/6/2016

Once again, the construction sector provides.

Based upon the number of occasions they have provided the source of blogs, I do stop to read vehicles and signs on building site, probably more than any other trade.

Yet again, that policy has turned up a gem, not rubbish….