My school's Puppetry Club!

[BobThePizzaBoy]

Well, I figured I'd put together a full thread for my school's newly-founded Puppetry Club (founded by me! ). Right now, we're in the period of having to make flyers to promote our first meeting on the 20th (gotta start somewhere) and am working on ideas... anyone have any? I need to make flyers that our humorous and don't really have too much emphasis on specific puppets like the Muppets (one of the problems with the current flyers I have, 3/5 of the flyers I've planned have Muppets on them).

I'll keep everyone posted with how this club's coming along!

 

[mike short]

A) What is the purpose of the club? (To watch and enjoy puppetry, to learn the craft of, performing or construction?) Answer this question and the rest begins to fall into place.

B) Careful with being funny. Humor often fails in advertising because it obscures the point. I can think of a hundred funny ads that I've seen that I can't remember the product they're for. And most of the puppet jokes I can think of are pretty banal. You've already got the draw of puppets - it's something people are interested in. Now give them the information that they need (when? where? why?).

C) Go eyecatching. Don't just put up a picture of a puppet, put up a really good picture of a puppet. There's a lot of clutter on school poster walls, so you have to stand out visually first.

D) A simple, memorable tagline is all you need - one that encapsulates everything you're going for. Like, we're looking to have people join a club, a club that's all about puppets. "All hands in" springs to mind, carrying the double meaning, see?

E) Good luck!

 

[BobThePizzaBoy]

All great observations/questions!

A) What is the purpose of the club? (To watch and enjoy puppetry, to learn the craft of, performing or construction?) Answer this question and the rest begins to fall into place.

The purpose of the club is all you mentioned. We will enjoy watching other puppeteers, learning puppetry and performing and constructing puppets are part of the criteria the club follows. I modeled the format of the club after another member on here's Puppetry Club (Teenager's) in that I want our club to host a variety show at my school near the end of the school (late April-early May, before the seniors leave for their internships).

B) Careful with being funny. Humor often fails in advertising because it obscures the point. I can think of a hundred funny ads that I've seen that I can't remember the product they're for. And most of the puppet jokes I can think of are pretty banal. You've already got the draw of puppets - it's something people are interested in. Now give them the information that they need (when? where? why?).

Well, I've been doing a series of "Did you know?" posters that list random puppet facts (Jon Stewart working as a puppeteer in his teen years, a former resident of my town playing a huge role in Sesame Street's history [true fact! Read Street Gang!], etc.) as well as puns ("This semester, set the fur flying... literally."). The posters I've created already have information on them about the locale and date and who to talk to about the club (the advisor & I).

C) Go eyecatching. Don't just put up a picture of a puppet, put up a really good picture of a puppet. There's a lot of clutter on school poster walls, so you have to stand out visually first.

That's kind of what I was going for, but in a different way. I felt using a poster with SS Muppets on it would get a student's attention out of recognizing the characters and at the same time make them think "What's a Sesame Street poster doing up in a high school?" and then they'd get the club info.

D) A simple, memorable tagline is all you need - one that encapsulates everything you're going for. Like, we're looking to have people join a club, a club that's all about puppets. "All hands in" springs to mind, carrying the double meaning, see?

Ha-ha, that's good. I'll use that. Didn't think of the less is more approach!

E) Good luck!

Thanks!

 

[mike short]

Yeah, less is defintely more. I like the fun facts idea; I didn't know that about Jon Stewart. (It explains why he likes NY's Story Pirates so much. Look 'em up!)

 

[chrisfason]

what a great idea! if i could go back in time 15 years...
...well, i'd probably take a bunch of sports scores and lottery numbers with me, who am i kidding?

 

[CoOKiE]

what would stink so bad is if you were in Marty's shoes and get back not planned... and didn't know what the lottery numbers were...

but i agree. This idea is great! and i woulda loved to have done it back in high school myself. My school was all about its chorus and Football team... so to have something different woulda worked well.

 

[Herman]

Are you a high school puppetry club? cause I'm in one too!

 

[StreetScenes]

That's kind of what I was going for, but in a different way. I felt using a poster with SS Muppets on it would get a student's attention out of recognizing the characters and at the same time make them think "What's a Sesame Street poster doing up in a high school?" and then they'd get the club info.

ooh...might not want to use ss muppets...you're right, they'll think what is a ss poster doing in a high school, but they might think it in the wrong way: by associating puppets (and your club) with kiddie entertainment. in fact, they might associate a ss muppet with kids tv instead of puppetry--i know i keep having to explain to people all the skill that goes into the puppeteering behind ss, because they just think of the characters without even making the connection to the puppet manipulation and vocal performance. maybe an avenue q puppet instead (just for the sake of grabbing their attention until your club's performances make them see that puppetry is a skill/art for all to enjoy)

good luck with the club!

 

[BobThePizzaBoy]

Are you a high school puppetry club? cause I'm in one too!

Sweet! I take it your in the same Puppetry Club that Teenager's was in before graduated?

 

[BobThePizzaBoy]

ooh...might not want to use ss muppets...you're right, they'll think what is a ss poster doing in a high school, but they might think it in the wrong way: by associating puppets (and your club) with kiddie entertainment. in fact, they might associate a ss muppet with kids tv instead of puppetry--i know i keep having to explain to people all the skill that goes into the puppeteering behind ss, because they just think of the characters without even making the connection to the puppet manipulation and vocal performance. maybe an avenue q puppet instead (just for the sake of grabbing their attention until your club's performances make them see that puppetry is a skill/art for all to enjoy)

good luck with the club!

Yeah, ultimately I backed out on those posters and went with a simpler design that I hung around the school ("All hands in!" ) but not because of the kiddie entertainment factor, mostly because I didn't want to waste ink on so many color photo filled flyers.

First meeting is Wednesday afternoon! Yay!