Push - It Will Open

Oh no it won't, you're closed!

Some wonderful signs in a shop door at a charming seaside resort.

It's the rather fantastic juxtaposition of "PUSH - IT WILL OPEN", and alongside "CLOSED".  That closed certainly suggests locks and bolts sufficient to satisfy and insurance company, and unlikely to be overcome by an encouraging push.

It's that ageing "PUSH - IT WILL OPEN SIGN" which does rather imply nobody really cares about getting it fixed, and making a better welcoming first impression.

For Discrete Assistance - Sound Horn

Here's a wonderful couple of adjacent signs on fuel at a local supermarket.  The first quite proudly announces "Service Call" which is "Discrete Disabled Assistance".  So simply "Ask, phone or visit our web site".  However, right underneath is a rather contradictory and very non-discrete instruction...the same disabled wheelchair, but this time adorned with "Sound \horn for Attention".

In reality it's about choices, but the immediate contrast here is super.

Disposable Bins

One of those delicate and tricky communications associated with the little room.  This is from the UK's second largest coffee shop chain.

"We would kindly request that customers refrain from disposing of nappies and sanitary towels down the toilet, and ask that you make use of the disposable bins provided."

So some confusion here about what are the "disposable items".  Here it's the bins which are described as disposable, rather than the items that they are intended to store.   In fact the bins are of course emptied and reused.   The point of the message  is really less about the nappies and sanitary towels themselves being disposable, and more about where and how to dispose of them.

Some further observations.....

- So high on the politeness....."kindly request, thank you", with a some gentile formality too "refrain" rather than "do not", and "make use" rather than "use".  

- It's a negative, if polite and congenial starting point, with "refrain from".  Rather than the specific positive request which would be about "please use the bins provided" for those disposable items.  

- Some mixed third person "customers refrain" which morphs into the second person with "you make use".

- It's a pride of place message - big, bright and prominent - although it's not a message which is targeted at everybody.  So the towels excludes at least 50% of the population, at least those who are male (plus the youngest and oldest females).  And the nappies excludes those without babies in tow wearing disposable (rather than washable) nappies. 

- And the reason for the message might help the call to action....which in reality is about not causing blockages.

So it's one of the distant HQ designed messages shipped out to operation shops.  With c.1800 Costa's in the UK it's a classic opportunity to it right at the start , so that when wheeled out 1800 times it's just more effective and engaging.  So if each of those shops is open for 10 hours, has one loo, each of which is used once every 10 mins, that's nearly 100,000 views a day, and 32 million views a year.  Technically 32 million customer engagements. 

And here are those "disposable bins".....

Red Man Shows

A delightful message from a swing bridge across a river in the west country.

"When red man shows wait HERE"

It's a natural development of the illuminated road crossing sign found at pelican crossings, here adapted for river crossing. So typically it's illuminated signs depicting a stationary red pedestrian for stop, or one depicting a walking green pedestrian for go or walk. [Although it could be argued that it's not definitively a male, and could well be moon dancing rather than walking].

Really it's about the "light" depicting a red man coming on.  The call to action is actually about stopping which can itself lead to waiting.   Although one may choose not to wait of course and go somewhere else.  So the message might equally be more explicit, something around....when red light shows stop here.  

So the reality it's about stopping here, rather than the more appealing idea that could be of man dressed in red showing himself at that location and in an authoritative manner.