In the world of events or experiential marketing as we now must call this market, it is increasingly difficult to communicate message and gain impact for a brand. New methods of print production and applications for this affordable media have increased in recent years due to the advance in technology, materials and ink capabilities. It is now possible to print for almost any large format application the imagination can conjure up.

Service Graphics has recently undertaken some interesting projects utilising the latest print materials to produce graphics to be applied to stair risers. The methods of application meet all necessary criteria but of more importance is the potential additional recognition that may be gained for a brand over and above that of traditional indoor and outdoor media.

Footfall figures and recognition surveys have well documented the effectiveness of advertising hoardings, interior posters sites, illuminated displays and other forms of ambient media but the recent advances in print technology that have allowed print to be applied in many unusual ways has lead to some new media opportunities that have yet to be quantified.

Stair graphics: the steps to branding heaven?

Stair Graphics is one of those applications and although retailers or restaurant outlets have used them in certain specific ways such as on the stair risers at exits to tube stations to advertise their presence nearby, the use to date has not been too creative or even thought of for temporary event applications.

In a recent brand awareness campaign Service Graphics themed stair risers out side the offices of Reuters in Canary Wharf to support their sponsorship of the Formula 1 team Williams F1 at the British Grand prix. The effect was stunning and the reaction of all who saw the graphics was “wow that looks great”.

In promoting this service and application the response from the Service Graphics client base has been greater than most of our other campaigns. The view of our agency clients is that done well graphics on stair risers have significant advantages over that of normal advertising media in similar spaces.

The graphics are at eye level to the viewer unlike many large poster sites and they are not in an expected location and so have greater recognition for the viewer. Unlike messages on the floor, graphics on stair risers will not be trodden upon and as such do not cause that psychological problem where many people will simply not step on a floor graphic.

An additional observation was that when large images are used across many stairs whereby the image comes together at one particular viewing point there is a curiosity factor created. The viewer wishes to work out what the image is and in this way further recognition may be created.

New print capabilities and application techniques continue to create new markets for the application of graphics, graphics on stair risers look like they are about to have their day.

Rob Kelly is managing director of Service Graphics

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