CA2275043A1 - Advertising device - Google Patents

The present invention relates to the field of advertising, and provides an advertising device for placement on the cover of a magazine, catalogue, or other similar distributed print medium.
It is known, using databases of customer lists, to conduct direct mail advertising campaigns, wherein personalized messages are distributed to a large number of individuals, through the mail. The drawback of this type of advertisement is that very often, the recipient will recognize it to be merely junk mail, and dispose of it before even reading it.
The object of the present invention is to provide a form of advertising with the personalized feel of individually addressed direct mail, but which is likely to be read and appreciated, because of its association with a magazine, catalogue, or like publication.
In a broad aspect, then, the present invention relates to an advertising device including at least one layer of a printable substrate, said device having an adhesive applied to one surface thereof, and advertising or informational subject matter applied to the opposite surface thereof.

In drawings that illustrate the present invention by way of example:
Figure 1 is a front view of an advertising device according to the present invention;
Figure 2 is a sectional view through line II-II of the device of Figure 1;
Figure 3 is a front view of the device of Figure 1, in an open condition; and Figure 4 is a perspective view of a publication bearing the device of Figure 1 on its cover.
Referring to the drawings, the device 1 of the present invention is an advertising tag or label for placement on, or in, a magazine, publication or the like. As shown in Figure 4, the device 1 is preferably affixed to the cover of a popular publication M, subscribed to by the person at whom the advertising is directed. Such a publication usually also includes an address label L
on its cover. It will be understood, however, that the device of the present invention may be affixed to a page on the inside of the publication, especially to a page containing an advertisement placed by the advertiser sponsoring the device.
Referring to Figures 1, 2 and 3, the device is provided with an outer layer 2 having a front face 3. The front face 3 is printed with advertising subject matter 4, and also with personalized information 5. In order to ensure that the personalized information 5 on the device corresponds with that on the address label, the device is preferably printed and applied at the same stage of production as the mailing label. However, depending on the known buying habits of the recipient - information that is readily available to advertisers - the advertisement printed on each of the device 1 in a production run may vary. For instance, in the example illustrated, the advertiser may know that John Doe purchases a new anvil every year. The advertiser will, therefore, wish to direct John Doe's attention to a particular anvil. The next subscriber may have a different advertisement - or no advertisement at all - directed to them.
In its most basic form, a layer of adhesive is applied directly to layer 2, and the device is affixed to a publication. However, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, layer 2 may fold back, e.g., by being perforated at a tear line 7, to reveal an inner part of the device, which may simply be a backing layer 8, to which the outside layer 2 is attached, e.g., by adhesive 9 at the side opposite tear line 7. Alternatively, there may be one or more additional layers 10 provided between the outer layer 2 and the backing layer 8. In a preferred embodiment, an additional layer 10 is provided that is a coupon (which may also be personalized, depending on which known printing technique is employed). If a coupon is provided, it may be detachable from the device by having an edge sandwiched between outer and backing layers 2, 8, in adhesive 9, and having a tear line 11 near that edge. The opposite edge 12 of the coupon will be free, and preferably will not contact adhesive 9 between the outer 2 and backing 8 layers.
If a coupon 10 is provided, it may be provided with a bar code 13 to assist in tracking usage thereof.
It will be understood that the present invention, as described may be modified in many ways without departing from the spirit of the invention. For instance, more internal layers may be provided, or the personalization may be deleted, but the remaining features still utilized.

1. An advertising device including at least one layer of a printable substrate, said device having an adhesive applied to one surface thereof, and advertising or informational subject matter applied to the opposite surface thereof.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, including at least two said layers, joined together along at least one edge, operable to reveal further advertising or informational subject matter.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2, including at least three said layers, wherein the middle layer of the three is a removable coupon, ticket, or the like.

4. A device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the inner and outer of the three layers are joined along opposed edges, and the middle layer is joined to the outer and inner layers along one edge.

5. A device as claimed in claim 3 or 4, wherein the outer layer is provided with a perforated tear line or strip to permit it to be opened.

6. A device as claimed in any preceding claim wherein said advertising and/or informational subject matter includes personalized information, directed to the intended recipient of the device.

7. A device as claimed in claim 6, wherein said personalized information is applied to said device and said device is applied to a publication, at the time of affixation of a mailing label.