I first saw them on the Ellen show this summer - her picnic in the park special. She used sign spinners to introduce each guest. And, frankly, I thought they were pretty cool.

Apparently, so do a lot of other people, as the sign spinning industry is growing at a rapid pace. Still not sure what a sign spinner is? Well, basically they are folks who carry signs around, shaped like arrows, advertising local businesses. But they don’t just wear the sign, sandwiched between two billboards hanging from their necks. Instead, they dance, spin, toss the signs… all to get the attention of passers-by (Still curious? You can see some in action on YouTube).

And it works. Because, frankly, that’s what it takes to really get our attention. No one really pays attention to billboards anymore, at least not like they are intended. We are so distracted by our own lives and busy schedules, that any advertiser is lucky to get a side-glance through our peripheral vision. Sign spinners, however, get a steady glance as cars pass, some even slowing down or stopping to watch for an extended amount of time.

There is some debate as to who was the first to come up with the idea, as many entrepreneurs claim to be the genius behind it. Generally though, the props go to three early-twenties gentlemen, Joe Ambert, Max Durovic and Michael Kenny, who founded Aarrow Advertising in 2002. The skateboarding and surfing junkies worked for a sign company as teenagers, holding signs on the street corner like many others. To cure some boredom, they started spinning the signs and dancing around, which got more attention and worked better for the client.

They’re employer didn’t treat them the best, so they decided to go into business for themselves. Now, Aarrow Advertising is a 500 person company, with offices dotted all over the country. And this year, Ambert, Durovic and Kenny expect to double last year’s revenue of $4 million. Not too shabby.

So, if you’re looking for a cool, innovative and attention grabbing way to advertise your business, sign spinners, who charge an average of $60 a hour, may be the way to go.

Source:
• Entrepreneur.com: A Sign of Good Marketing?

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3 Responses to “Sign Spinners Turning Heads”

1. Lori says:
   

   I am a new contractor in Las Vegas and am looking for some folks who would like to make money spinning signs for direction to our properties. I think this is a great site and thought I might throw this opportunity out there. If you know of anyone interested or a company that does this call me. Lori @ TLC Homes: 702-309-0513

   Posted February 4th, 2008 @ 5:56 pm
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2. Anonymous says:
   

   It isn’t so much who came up with the idea first. But rather, who will find the most creative ways to employ human directionals. Good article.

   Posted March 21st, 2008 @ 4:34 pm
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3. sign spinners says:
   

   I’m all for sign spinning. It’s such an effective form of advertising because it’s entertaining and it adds a personal/ human element that billboards don’t have.

   Posted February 5th, 2010 @ 2:51 pm
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