YAM Banners

Organization Name:
Yellowstone Art Museum
City & State:
Describe your creative piece – what is it and what has it been used for, and why is it innovative?
We have five new 3'x7' outdoor banners posted out front on our building. Three of the banners are installed on a permanent basis, advertising our three areas of focus: exhibitions, education, and events. These three banners feature large images of art works by well known regional artists in our permanent collection. The other two banners will be changed out semi-annually to feature current exhibitions. This is the first banner program we've undertaken that we will be able to rotate out advertising to promote what's going on inside the museum. We've had banners once in a while in the past, as budget has allowed for us to out-source the design and manufacture. Now we're designing them in-house and have made it a permanent addition to our marketing and advertising program.
What issue or problem were you working to address with this piece?
The front of our building is a little institutional-looking and uninviting - and in the downtown corridor of businesses, all of which look somewhat the same (typical downtown city offices). Our museum is at the corner of one of the busiest intersections in town, but there's not been anything outside to catch drivers' attention. We needed a way to really stand out and make people look as they're driving by, to and from work, each and every day. We wanted people first, to notice us and realize we're here, and second, we wanted to peak their interest enough to make a visit inside the museum.
How has your submission successfully impacted your organization’s ability to solve this issue/problem?
From the very day we hung the new banners, we've had great feedback. People notice the museum now. It's almost like these banners have literally put us on the map. We've gone from a plain building that people drive by every day, to a splash of color with a message, inviting people to come inside...not just drive on by. I'd say people are most surprised by the "events" banner. We've gotten lots of phone calls from people interested in knowing how they can host an event here. The images are bold; the message is simple; and the effect has been very positive for our business.