It’s tax season which can mean only one thing: It’s time for the Liberty Income Tax Uncle Sam and Lady Liberty street wavers to work their magic. If you happen to drive by the College-Rolling Hills intersection anytime around lunch or on your way home after work, there’s a pretty good chance you’ve seen them out in front of Fiesta Square waving away, hoping to entice you to into their office and gain your business. Does it work? Well, that’s up for debate. That said, it certainly makes you aware of their business.
It seems that over the last few years, this type of advertising has slowly risen in the area. We’ve all seen the clown outside of Halloween Express, haven’t we? Obviously, this type of advertising isn’t anything new, but it certainly seems to be a cheap and effective way of drawing attention to your business.
The last couple of weeks I’ve spotted several folks standing outside of businesses, dressed up in odd costumes, waving away at those of us passing by and I have to say, I love it. I don’t know what it is, but there’s something great about someone dressed up like a loon waving like mad at every single person who passes by. It may not be a conventional means of advertising, but it’s certainly a great way of doing it.
Last year, a superstar emerged in the field of street-side advertising. She danced like mad while dressed in a statue of liberty costume. Day-in and day-out she danced to the beat of whatever was playing on her iPod. Constantly waving, consistently grooving. She was the epitome of the street-side advertiser. After her stint at Liberty Tax, she moved across the street and began rocking out for the folks at Diner Dash, chef hat and all. Once that job was up, she vanished from the streets for the season. Now that tax season is among us again, I had hoped to see her back outside of Fiesta Square doing her best to not only bring in new customers, but to keep us commuters entertained. Unfortunately, when the Liberty Tax wavers came back out, she wasn’t among them. Perhaps she’ll show back up again, but for some reason, I’m thinking that she’s hung up her lady liberty smock and put her dancing shoes away for good. I sure hope I’m wrong, though. She certainly put a smile on my face every time I drove past.
What do y’all think about the street-side advertisers? Like ’em? Love ’em? Despise them will your entire mind, body and soul?
