"Burma Shave" Signs Project
by Mark Johnson | Jul 19, 2022
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Summary:
My proposal is to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species in Minnesota lakes by creating a new twist on a great advertising idea from the past—Burma Shave signs.
Burma Shave was a shaving cream company on the verge of bankruptcy in the 1920s, when its founder decided to post rhyming slogans on a series of small road signs spaced for reading by passing motorists. One series read like this:
Past School Houses/Take It Slow/Let the Little/Shavers Grow/
Burma Shave
The signs became one of the most successful ad campaigns in US history.
My idea is to use the concept of posting small signs along the highway but with stop-aquatic-hitchhiker slogans such as,
Muscles on Your Arms/Are Hot/Zebra Mussels in Our Lakes/Are Not/
Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers!
Slogans would be solicited by a radio contest using the Minnesota Idea Open website.
I would start the project with a pilot project in my community. Then, using lessons learned, I would repeat this project in several communities around the state. I would train and assist local lake associations to complete these projects.
My idea is creative in the following ways:
1. The signs would be a new twist on a great idea from the past.
2. The slogans would use wit and humor to reach the audience.
3. The slogans draw on the creativity of the target populations.
4. “Burma Shave” signs would attract more attention than conventional signs.
5. The community itself would create the message on the signs, generating more local interest.
6. By participating in the contest, contestants would not only have fun, but would also learn how to stop aquatic hitchhikers. The contest would create a project in science or English that is fun for students.
7. The signs would dovetail with the statewide Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers campaign. This coordination would increase the impact of the message.
About You
About You
First Name
Mark
Last Name
Johnson
Country
United States, MN
City
Fifty Lakes
About Your Organization
Organization Name
Fifty Lakes Property Owners Association
Organization Website
http://www.minnesotawaters.org
Your Idea
Name your idea
"Burma Shave" Signs Project
Describe how you would use $15,000 to help your community become aware of and address water issues in Minnesota.
First, I would leverage this grant by applying for a matching grant from the Minnesota DNR. Then I would use the grant money to complete projects in several communities as follows:
1. Conduct a radio contest, if possible on public radio statewide, to solicit stop-aquatic-hitchhiker slogans. The contest would raise awareness of the threat of invasive species and how to prevent their spread. The grant would pay for interviews, commercials, and small prizes for winning slogans. Schools would be encouraged to participate.
2. Create and install "Burma Shave" road signs bearing stop-aquatic-hitchhiker slogans. The signs would raise awareness of residents and visitors in lake areas. The grant would pay for construction and installation of the signs. (One set of installed signs would cost approximately $2,000).
3. Publicize the project. I would increase public interest in the project by issuing news releases announcing the contest and contest winners in newspapers, websites and social media. In addition, I would raise awareness by creating a short video about the project for broadcast on YouTube, public television, television news and appropriate websites. The grant would pay for a video.
How do you define your "community"?. How are water issues affecting your community?
Although I am defining “community” to be my local town of Fifty Lakes (or a local lake community), I designed the project to appeal to a much broader audience, recognizing that preventing the spread of invasive species depends on raising awareness and obtaining cooperation from the entire community of lake users.
According to a recent survey, the top water issue affecting my community is preventing the spread of aquatic invasive species. The lakes in the Fifty Lakes area are not infested yet, but they are located within a few miles of infested lakes. Residents are concerned that infestation would have a negative impact on ecosystems, property values, and tourism.
Innovation
Describe how your idea is creative.
My proposal is to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species in Minnesota lakes by creating a new twist on a great advertising idea from the past—Burma Shave signs.
Burma Shave was a shaving cream company on the verge of bankruptcy in the 1920s, when its founder decided to post rhyming slogans on a series of small road signs spaced for reading by passing motorists. One series read like this:
Past School Houses/Take It Slow/Let the Little/Shavers Grow/
Burma Shave
The signs became one of the most successful ad campaigns in US history.
My idea is to use the concept of posting small signs along the highway but with stop-aquatic-hitchhiker slogans such as,
Muscles on Your Arms/Are Hot/Zebra Mussels in Our Lakes/Are Not/
Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers!
Slogans would be solicited by a radio contest using the Minnesota Idea Open website.
I would start the project with a pilot project in my community. Then, using lessons learned, I would repeat this project in several communities around the state. I would train and assist local lake associations to complete these projects.
My idea is creative in the following ways:
1. The signs would be a new twist on a great idea from the past.
2. The slogans would use wit and humor to reach the audience.
3. The slogans draw on the creativity of the target populations.
4. “Burma Shave” signs would attract more attention than conventional signs.
5. The community itself would create the message on the signs, generating more local interest.
6. By participating in the contest, contestants would not only have fun, but would also learn how to stop aquatic hitchhikers. The contest would create a project in science or English that is fun for students.
7. The signs would dovetail with the statewide Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers campaign. This coordination would increase the impact of the message.
Impact
Describe how how you expect your idea to make a difference in your community.
The desired outcome would be to raise awareness among all lake users of the threat of invasive species and the steps to take to prevent infestation in our lakes. By posting signs along the roads entering a lake community, we would ensure that 100% of residents and visitors would see them. The radio contest would draw attention to the signs and raise awareness of invasive species in the entire lakes region.
Sustainability and Growth
Describe how your idea will "stick" in your community and how you think it could be repeated in other communities.
I believe the idea will “stick” in the community for the following reasons:
1. The signs would be designed to last many years. They would be maintained by local lake associations.
2. The signs would be effective in raising awareness.
3. The participation of the community in creating the slogans would increase long-term community commitment to the signs.
4. The participation of students in the contest would increase interest in the signs among the next generation.
I believe my idea could be repeated in other communities for the following reasons:
1. Lake associations have volunteers to do this project in their communities.
2. I have the knowledge and experience to assist with each step of the project, including obtaining government approval, creating the signs, conducting the radio contest and publicizing the project.
3. Communities are very concerned about invasive species and are looking for programs like this to increase awareness.
4. The Minnesota DNR has told me this project is creative and they would like to have projects like this implemented in communities throughout the state. If DNR grants are available on the future, there is a good possibility that communities could obtain grants to help fund this project.
 | Mark Johnson updated this Competition Entry. - 1773 days ago |
 | Mark Johnson submitted this idea. - 1774 days ago |
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