Use Burma Shave!

a few of us met last week to discuss how the Minneapolis Great Streets program and structure could be adapted to our mission here at Cedar Ave United. One thing discussed in Great Streets efforts (or so I'm told) is marketing area businesses by making signage... Since most of our area on Cedar is residential (most, but by NO means all!) this leads us to the yard sign.

Minnie, one of our members, dabbles in poetry. She says she writes 'little ditties'. They're really great! She suggested that we take a Burma Shave approach. I didn't quite know what she meant by that. but I soon found out.

Burma Shave is known for it's unique advertising approach comprised of series of signs. Some of you are probably familiar with this, but it was a little before my time:) The 5 or 6 signs would fit together to make a rhyme. Motorists would drive past these signs and 'get the message'. The campaign was wildly successful. She loaned me the book. I read the whole thing. It's pretty good!

Stuff like:

In this vale
of Toil and Sin
your head grows bald
but Not your chin
use Burma Shave

so here is a witty ditty from Minnie. I think we should use it:

Please slow down
no need to rush
If you crash
you might be mush!!

the lights ahead
that you can see
change every two minutes
believe you me

let the pedestrians
cross the street
so they don't end up
under a sheet

we value our children
each and every one
going to funerals
is Never fun

Elko speedway
this is not
respect our homes
we love you a lot


I love em! I think we could break them into stanzas and put them up and down the road. We could move them around to various locations, and of course follow each up with a 'Cedar Ave United' sign.

We'd need plywood, furring strips, green paint, white paint, brushes, stencils and artists. I'm all for it, any other takers?? We'll mention it at the meeting this next monday.

ALSO: this is particularly appropriate seeing as how the Burma Shave headquarters was located near the intersection of Cedar and Lake ON Cedar Ave!! Maybe that's why I love this idea so much! Thanks Minnie!