Seen any good ads lately?

Were being advertised to more and more often each day. Some estimates say that we are exposed to up to as many as 3,000 advertising messages a day, and that number is only expected to increase. According to Direct Marketing News, an industry trade publication, each of us now sees more ads in a single year than people 50 years ago would see in a lifetime.

If youre a business owner, its a huge challenge to find a way to break through the clutter and do it without breaking the bank in the process.

A few enterprising local individuals are getting the job done with a technique thats as old as advertising itself: the human billboard. Its a variation of the old Eat At Joes sandwich boards used generations ago, but in a new way.

In small towns across America, two of the most well-known human billboards are the waving Uncle Sam and Statue of Liberty characters from franchisees of Liberty Tax Service. Beginning in late January, just as sure as your W-2s are going to be in the mail, youre sure to see one or more of these costumed marketers on the corner, waving or dancing to passers-by.

But does that stuff really work?

Mike Marback, owner of the Liberty franchise in Bradley, IL, says its been the cornerstone of his business growth. His store was the #1 new office in the Midwest in terms of number of tax returns prepared this past year, and he credits the waving billboards for a big part of his offices success.

We ask every client what brought them to us as customers, and 90 percent of them say theyve come in because of the guy waving on the street corner, says Marback. Theres no doubt that it works.

John Hewitt, the founder of Liberty Tax Service, is credited for suggesting the technique to his franchisees nationwide. Known as a form of guerrilla marketing, which is non-traditional marketing using very little money, Hewitts franchisees use the tactic from coast to coast.

Of course, in Virginia, its a lot easier to stand out on the street corner in February than it is here, adds Marback. His costumed employees use cold-weather gear designed for hunters underneath their costumes to stay warm.

Variations of the idea seem to be catching on. Ks Merchandise Mart, a Midwestern regional department store chain, promoted a weekend furniture sale recently by hiring what they call sign walkers at strategic street corners near each Ks store. These sign walkers held 6-foot-high stakes, with large-lettered signs stapled onto the stakes promoting the sale.

Did it work? According to Bradley, IL Ks store manager Dennis Osburn, they had a phenomenal weekend, but admits that several forms of advertising were also used to promote the sale, including cable TV and direct mail.

Anytime we can get the message out and get the response that we did, were doing OK, said Osburn.

Many Jiffy Lube locations are also taking advantage of their busy intersections with a sign walker.

Patrick Wilder, Jiffy Lube store manager in Bourbonnais, IL, uses the tactic of the human billboard when his shop is empty. He sees the impact right away.

We use it strategically to increase business when we need it, says Wilder. We have a bright yellow sign that our sign walkers hold in front of our shop to promote an immediate $10.00 discount on our $29.99 oil change, and it works very well.

The Bourbonnais Jiffy Lube is one of 400 franchises owned by a single parent company, and Wilder says the sign walker program is used by nearly all the stores.

Were a volume-based business, so more cars means more money for us. Ive been here for six months, and ever since weve implemented the sign walker program, weve been up in volume every single month.

If youre thinking about starting a human billboard or sign walker program of your own, here are a few things to remember:

Not every town or village allows it, so you should check with your local village code enforcement department.

Safety should be a major concern, since busy intersections draw traffic that speeds by at a good clip. Set up a safe zone that your sign walkers or human billboards can stay in and avoid injury.

Hire people with tenacity and personality, and keep them motivated.

Liberty Tax Services Marback claims that its not just standing out on the street corner that makes the tactic effective. Theres a trick to doing it just right.

We train our people to draw attention to themselves positively. Whether its a funny dance or a wave, we encourage them to be creative. We actually have mothers of young children call us just before they bring their kids by in their cars on the way home, asking us if our guys will do that funny dance that their kids like as they pass.

Marback also gives his employees CD players with headphones to keep them motivated while on the job.

Does anyone ever make fun of him doing a corny thing like this to attract attention?

No, I havent heard anything like that from anyone. Even if I had a different business than tax preparation, Id still be doing this. It puts a smile on peoples faces, people remember it, and it works. How much better does advertising get than that?