While shopping on vacation, I saw a sign asking: “Need a ride to the train station?” I did not think the town had a rail service so I was intrigued enough to read further. Instead of a ride offer, it was a warning not to shoplift!
It read: “Bad news is there’s no train station in Saugatuck. Good news is we DO have a police station. We’ll happily take you THERE if you decide to shoplift HERE. Smiling for our cameras HERE will be so much better than a mugshot THERE. Shoplifting is a crime. We take it seriously.”
They could have hung signs saying “NO SHOPLIFTING,” or “CAMERAS IN USE,” but this sign communicated the same thing in a more clever manner. They still got their point across but added personality as well. You’d be wise to follow their lead. If you need to make a sign, don’t make it generic.
