Poster Runs
Staying on the Good Side of the Law
Look around to see if other community groups have been putting up posters around your school, campus or workplace (especially keep an eye out for posters from our rival left wing groups). If our opponents have been allowed to put up posters, then ethically we should have the same right to freedom of expression).
Always check the rules in your school/ campus/ workplace: don’t unwittingly get yourself into unnecessary trouble. If you want your poster campaign to have an element of surprise, then it is best to find out the rules discretely – read the written rulebooks, or ask a teacher about the rules under the pretence that you want to put up posters for another organisation, or get a friend to inquire about the rules.
If the authorities say “no”, then make your own judgement whether you can get away with discretely putting up posters. Remember three factors:
(1) People are less likely to have objections if you can attach your posters to public property in a way that does not cause damage;
(2) Posters are a legitimate means of exercising political freedom of expression;
(3) Avoid getting into trouble.
When to Strike
Even if you are allowed to put up posters, it can make you feel very conspicuous when you are seen in public putting them up. You will find the task easier when you do not have the distracting of passing crowds or gawking bystanders.
If you want to be discrete, then choose times when very few people are around. For example – strike early in the morning before the first classes even begin. Another time when school or campus corridors are the most empty is during the first half-hour of the first class.
At university, it is often fun to gather a group together for a “poster run” at night time. You can spend a busy hour putting up hundreds of posters, then enjoy a drink together afterwards.
In some environments, it is important to strike without being noticed, so that left-wing groups have less warning and less chance to respond. In some places, socialist youth groups are very swift to either rip down the posters of opponents, or respond swiftly with their own posters (often over the top of yours). It is no good putting up your posters only part-way into rush hour at your school, campus or workplace, if they are only going to be torn down half an hour later. Instead if your posters are put up immediately prior to the morning rush, or midday rush, then they can have maximum exposure.
When you are planning your poster run, be sure to check the weather forecast. If it is raining, then you will find it hard to gather recruits to help you with the job, there will be few pedestrians who will stop in the rain to read your poster, and in some cases the ink may run or the posters may wash away. When you are planning how to print or photocopy your poster, do some tests beforehand, to see how the poster would withstand water.
Adhesive
Tape is often the best adhesive, although it can take time to tear and position each strip. Tape causes less damage to building surfaces than glue. Be sure to stick tape on each corner, so that the wind doesn’t get to your posters before the Commies do.
Glues are not really advisable, unless you enjoy sticky hands. Remember, if you get caught red handed, it is not easy to disguise glue-coated hands. If you do want to use glues, then a blob in each corner can do the job.
Some people argue that a mixture of flour and water is an inexpensive option, but it does not stick that securely (your posters will be prone to peel off easily). Specialist “poster glues” can be good if you want to make your posters hard to remove, for example, where your campus provides large poles specifically for posters. Test your glue beforehand to see how effective it will be, and also try some water tests to see how your posters will withstand rain.
Best Target Locations
First target major noticeboards and find the most prominent spots at eye levels. You may have to shuffle other peoples posters, to get yourself a prime position. Bring sufficient pins for this job.
Target major doors, just above the door handle at eye level. People usually stare at a door well before they walk through it, and they also slow their pace down just as they open a door. Tape is usually the best adhesive for doors.
Target the walls at the end of busy corridors. When people walk down corridors, they usually stare at the wall at the end, rather than at the walls alongside them.
Target walls above stairwell landings. Hit the side of the wall which is most visible to those walking down the stairs. Note that those climbing up stairs usually look at their feet, not the wall.
If you have several different types of posters which you are putting up in the one “poster run”, then occasionally put up one of each design together – for visual variety. If you only have the one design, then occasionally put up the poster in strings. A row of identical posters is more eye-catching and likely to be read by a pedestrian, than is a lone poster.
Feedback
Poster battles do not just end when the paper touches the wall. Every political battle requires feedback and tactical adjustment, so that each successive salvo lands closer to your target objectives.
Make a note of how people are reacting to your posters and discuss this with your political colleagues. How do your own party supporters react? How do opponent lefties react? How do swinging voters react? Bear the reactions in mind when you are designing your next poster.
If your poster every elicits a totally undesired reaction, for example because the wording is ambiguous, then swiftly take it down and put up replacements. If your poster is well received, then bear in mind that people will still become bored by it after a week or two. Even a good poster needs to be taken down after a certain period, otherwise people will start to regard the poster as a nuisance piece of litter. If you regularly replace your posters, then you can keep interest in your political campaign alive and you have reserved yourself the best poster spots.
If you see people reading your posters and reacting favourably, then take the opportunity to tell them about your political campaign. You can also sound out their partisan leanings, to see if they may be interested in joining your political party. If they are interested in joining, then tell them the time and place of the next meeting or event, or give them your contact details.