Writing banner wording that works
Nobody stops to read a banner. They catch it in passing, so every word on it has to earn its place.
Same event, half the words.
Here is the kind of first draft we see all the time, next to the version that actually gets read from across a road.
| First draft | Rewrite | What changed |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome to our annual summer fair, held in the school grounds with stalls, games and refreshments for all the family | Summer fair. Saturday 12 to 4 | The event and the time are all a passer-by needs |
| We are delighted to announce that we now offer a wide range of hand car wash services | Hand car wash. Open now | Politeness removed, offer kept |
| Our new-season stock has arrived and many lines are now reduced in our sale | Sale now on. Up to half price | A reason to come in, stated first |
| For more information please visit our website or call us on the number below | One short web address | One route to act, not two |
The order that works.
Put the wording in the order a stranger's brain asks for it.
- What is it? Two or three plain words, set largest.
- When or where? Only what the reader cannot already see. A banner on the building does not need the address.
- What should I do? Turn in, book, call. Pick one.
Words to take out first
- Greetings and thanks, such as "welcome to" and "we are pleased to"
- Adjectives nobody can check, such as "quality" and "friendly"
- A second phone number or a full list of social accounts
- "Www" and "https" at the front of a web address
Small choices that help
Use figures, not words: "12 to 4" reads faster than "twelve until four". Give the day as well as the date, because people plan by day. Avoid clever puns unless the point survives a misreading, as a joke is the first thing lost at speed.
If the banner might run again next year, leave the date off the main print. A date can go on a small add-on panel or in cut vinyl, which keeps the banner itself useful for longer.
Do the car window test
Write the wording on a sheet of paper, hold it up for two seconds, then put it down. Ask someone what it said and what they would do next. If they cannot tell you, cut more.
Once the words are settled, work out how big they can go with our guide to text size for long-distance reading, then pick a banner type to suit the site.
Words that have to work at a glance.
Your questions.
Should a banner include a phone number?
Only if calling is the action you want. A long number is hard to remember in passing, so a short web address or a simple place name is often more useful.
Is a QR code worth adding to a banner?
Only where people can stop and stand close. On a banner seen from a moving car it wastes space that a bigger headline could use.
Can your designers rewrite my wording?
Our in-house designers can lay it out and suggest where to trim. Tell us what the banner has to achieve and share the draft with us.