Jay Leno was famous for his curation of unusual signs. I pay most attention to those that find a way to deliver a potentially negative message in a creative way.
One such sign appeared in a Traverse City store window. Instead of saying: “NO FOOD OR DRINKS,” which is the typical wording for such messages, it read: “A few years ago…there was a disaster between a chocolate ice cream and a linen dress. Please no food or drink.”
I suspect that this message was heeded more than the generic ones because it was out of the ordinary enough for people to actually read it, and it painted a vivid picture that people could envision. Not wanting to be the cause of a disaster themselves, perhaps they honored the request.
If you need to post a sign, ask people to adhere to a policy, or want to influence behavior, take the extra time to craft a message that has more humanity than policy.
Thanks, Meg!
