Lessons in Entrepreneurship: Think Outside the Bag

(This post is a part of the "weekend's are for fun" series.)

If you are an entrepreneur (or plan on being one), then it is likely that sometime in your entrepreneurial career, you will have to work on creating brand recognition and advertising. For the most bang for the buck - think outside the bag (you’ll see what I mean). Here are some innovative ads that really amused me - hopefully they will inspire you in your quest for creating the most captivating ad as well.

Note: These images have been floating around for a while and you might have seen some of them already. So, I categorized them into three sections so you can skip over the sections that you have already seen. How thoughtful, huh? :)

1. Shopping Bags
2. Truck Ads
3. Bus Ads

Shopping Bags

Advertising on shopping bags (“bagvertising”) can have a similar effect as advertising on bill boards. At a much lower cost, though. Compared to billboards, the advantage of using bagvertising is that shopping bags are mobile ads, whereas bill boards are stationary. So, bagvertising can reach all sorts of places that bill board advertising just couldn’t. The key here is to be innovative. Have an “oomph” design that will make a lasting impression to not only help with brand recognition, but also tempt the audience into going and making a purchase themselves. Here are some examples. Look to the bottom of the page for links with more pictures.

Stop ‘n Grow nail biting deterrent



Dubai Autism Center




Pieter Aspe – Belgian Crime Novel Writer



I am assuming this one is for a lingerie store!



Panadol brand pain reliever (Australian?)

Truck Ads

OK. Say you are stuck in traffic. And to make it worse, let’s you are caught behind (or next to) a huge truck. What would you rather stare at – the boring hind side of a truck with the name of some company in block lettering or some clever ad that amuses you? (For those of you who said – “Neither, I hate all kinds of ads”, I say “I pity the fool who cannot face reality and adapt to it!”). Anyway, a German company called RollAd sponsors an annual advertising competition for the cleverest ad designed for trucks called the Rhino Awards. Here are some of my favorites from the winners from 2005 and short-listed entries from the 2006.

Pepsi Light



Falk Navigation Systems




Sushi Factory (Does anyone else think an aquarium with cute fish is a bad idea for advertising sushi???)



Coca Cola Zero



Universal Pictures (King Kong)

Bus Ads

This is a genre similar to truck ads. In big cities where the public transportation is one of the primary means to get around, this can be a great means of advertisement. I wish every advertiser would recognize the value of “funny” and design ads that amuse us instead of bore us!

Duracell Batteries



Dr. Best Tooth Brush



Jet Star Asia



Mint



Toys ‘R Us



I know we money bloggers shun advertisements and gripe about how they corrupt the mind and tempt people into buying stuff that they don't need. But at the end of the day, the reality is that there will always be advertisements around us. If you plan on having your own business or entrepreneurial venture, you may as well make peace with ads and use them to your advantage. I hope these ads here convinced you of the potential that funny and innovative ads have, and I hope if you ever choose to create an ad campaign you will be be kind to us consumers by entertaining us instead of bugging us!

More Cool Pictures at:

• Shopping Bags 1
• Shopping Bags 2
• Shopping Bags 3
• Shopping Bags 4
• Truck Ads 1
• Truck Ads 1
• Bus Ads 1
• Bus Ads 1

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