Are you really covered? ( not an insurance scam, we promise.)

The Northern Hemisphere is currently glowing in the Summer rays and enjoying the warmth and sunshine that comes with the sizzling season. From barbeques to sporting events, being out in the open and taking in a bit of natural goodness is top on most people's weekend to-do lists.

But whether you're at a surfing contest or trying to keep baby out of the midday sun at a country fete, or even desperate for the make-up not to run whilst enjoying the horse races - shade cover is imperative! Branded parasol umbrellas are perfect for creating shelter and getting your brand, product or promotion message seen. At beaches, restaurants,  sporting and social events; a parasol is ideal for quick instant advertising.

Expand a Sign has taken an age old design and greatly enhanced the features (like plastic surgery, but without the pain.) to create the Ex-Shade parasol. We can even print these on the inside; so whether underneath or at a distance, you never miss a branding opportunity. ( I can't lie - we think we're pretty clever for coming up with this feature.)

What sets the Ex-Shade apart from the others?

• Stronger but lighter pole - better than anything on the market
• Larger surface area for showing off your logo and branding
• Folds down to 1.5m for easy transport
• Quick and easy to replace branded canopy when updating your marketing message
• UV resistant for longer lasting colour
• Super strong and flexible frame withstands heavy winds
• Available with or withour a printed valance
• Washable so keeps looking like new

Cheers,

EAS

2 Days until kick off!

Expand a Sign has branded the masses.  We've helped companies, both big and small, to show themselves to the world for the next month. All eyes will be on us so why not give them something to look at. We've covered the nation in flags and banners. We are feeling it; it is HERE!

The Greeks training camp is located 15km north of Durban, 'the boss' informs me. I have already purchased my camping gear and intend on squatting at a nearby location until July 11th, when the tournament ends. A friend of mine has inside knowledge regarding the Italian team and which gym they will be working out at. She has stated that she will be doing little else apart from intense athlete ogling for the next 31days. The gym towel will apparently only be used for mopping up her drool.

Expand a Sign has been World Cup mad since November 2009, when our first orders started coming in. MTN, an official sponsor, then purchased a large amount of  Feather Banners, Ex-Dome gazebos and Folding A-Frames. A few enormous SA Soccer shirt banners have also made their way through our factory. South Africa is known for its festive, multi-cultural vibe and are encouraging tourists to visit informal taverns or shabeens. Old Brown Sherry and Castle Milk Stout have both purchased large numbers of Ex-Dome gazebos which will be set up at these taverns during the matches, handing out sherry to warm up the fans ( It really does get quite cold in Africa!) and milk stout to quench their thirst.

Coca Cola are another official sponsor of the 2010 Soccer World Cup and have opened up fan parks throughout the country, where people can sit on a bean bag with an ice-cold coke (it gets pretty warm too, here in SA!) and watch the games on the giant TV screen, in the company of both locals and tourists. Expand a Sign has provided hundreds of metres of branding to be used at these fan parks. 

Large malls and casinos have placed Ex-Discs on their parking lot lightposts, with country flags displayed on each. A unique product with great eye-catching appeal. From hardware stores to pet shops, Expand aSign flags are everywhere! Bunting is also strewn along at restaurants, shopping centres and offices. 

 BP (should I be mentioning them?!) and Shell petrol companies have purchased Feather Banners for the forecourt at each of their gas stations. 

I have ticked off my checklist of must-haves for the next month. Christiano Ronaldo on my arm is the final box that needs filling. I'm going for it... sure hope I score!

Cheers.

09:25am, Friday 28 May: 
It's 2 days before the 85th Comrades Marathon in Durban, South Africa. Myself and 'the boss' are at the Durban Exhibition Centre for the Comrades 2010 Expo, to get a view of the branding and sponsors who will be present during this years' race. Instant canopies/gazebos and banners are displayed at each stand, advertising everything from athletic gear to the latest energy drink. 

Having never strived for a 6-minute-mile, I am more interested in the freebies and hand-outs, to be honest. Oh yes - and the Expand a Sign products! Bonitas Medical Fund is a sponsor of the event and placed an order with us for 173 Large Flying Banners, to be displayed in Pietermaritzburg at the start of the race when the runners will begin their 89km route to Durban.

When we arrive at the Flora stand 'the boss' is once again asked if she will be running this year. (she won't. She knows better) I'm now developing a complex about my obviously unathletic figure as no enquiries have come my way. Personal paranoia aside, I am most impressed by the bright yellow and green  Flora displays with Expand a Sign Flying Banners, Ex-Ts and an Overhead Cylindrical.

When leaving the exhibition centre, the brisk walk back to the parking lot has left me exhausted. And in two days, 20 000 men and women will be attempting 56miles in under 12 hours?!  

05:30am, Sunday 30 May:
Hair's a mess. It's dark, I'm cold and someone has finished all the coffee. But here I sit, infront of the TV, and watch in amazement (I've seen this every year for 2 decades but it still gives me the chills.) as the cock crows, the gun blasts and the Comrades Marathon ceremoniously begins! 

08:35am, Sunday 30 May:
I'm at the roadside, awaiting the arrival of the first runner! It's light, still cold but I have coffee! The supporters are bbq'ing their eggs and bacon, some already on the champagne and orange juice, but there is a wonderful vibe along the road. Young and old are getting excited as the helicopters fly over and we begin to hear the rumble of clapping and support in the near distance. 


3:20pm, Sunday 30 May:

I'm back on the couch, watching the television. By now, many runners are turning the bend for their last mile towards the finish line. Expand a Sign Post Office Flying Banners and Flora Feather Banners hug the way, as the exhausted and understandably relieved athletes cross the finishers carpet and clock in their times.


I think most of us are more enthused about being a bystander than a participant. But witnessing thousands of people - normal, everyday folk who have jobs and kids and stressful lives - complete an ultra marathon, inspires me each year to push my own limits. Even if just a little.


The real winners of the Comrades Marathon video


Cheers.
EAS.

Branding the peeps on the streets!

I'm driving up Buro Crescent in Durban, on my way to the Expand a Sign office. Informal stalls selling fruit, sweets and cool drinks are strewn along the roadside. As the pedestrians meander past on their travels, the tired-looking gazebos that house each makeshift shop look somewhat in keeping with the dishevelled, dusty surrounds of the area.

But then , as I make my way down the road and closer to Expand a Sign, a familiar sight comes into view. And another! Perched on the roadside, gloating with pride like peacocks on display, are 2 Ex-Dome instant canopies. One blue, one pink. With a mad grin on her face, the newest recipient of her very own Ex-Dome gazebo is Pretty. Each and every day, she has supplied the neighbourhood's workers with refreshments, snacks and meals from within a tent that was barely clinging to its rusty old legs. And now she has her own fold-away branded store. Look out Spar - Pretty has joined the game!

Leon, on the other hand, has been our 'guinea pig' and Ex-Dome tester for 2 years now. 5 days a week he sets up and takes down the same gazebo without complication. With any new product comes alterations and advances, and Leon has tested all of our R&D changes. As we try new printing machines and fabrics, he has been presented with a new Ex-Dome 'skin' which he replaces effortlessly. 

Expand a Sign has been the leader in portable instant advertising and  branding for over a decade. We know that displaying and promoting yourself works. Whether an international franchise or a small business self starter such as Leon, being noticed counts. And helping just 2 people like Pretty and Leon to stand out from the crowd and improve their sales is both rewarding for us and beneficial to them. 

I'm now craving one of Pretty's sandwiches - gotta go.
Cheers,
EAS.



 

Keeping our Competitive Edge!

With the FIFA Soccer World Cup only 20 days away, Expand a Sign has decided to get into the footie spirit and host our own Expand a Sign Foosball World Cup.

Our Art studio and printing team were awarded with a Foosball machine in 2009, for keeping errors to a minimum and quality printing to a max. They are allowed to play during lunch breaks and before or after work.

In our quest to find the ultimate Foosball champions, departments within the Durban-based head office are teaming up to take on their rivals in what is guaranteed to be a nail-biting final.

Each day at lunch, we will be holding best-of-7 matches until the winner is finally announced. I’ll keep you informed.

Cheers,

EAS

Stretching is imperative. Oh, and buying a good pair of running shoes. Carbo-loading; that's also recommended beforehand. Not to mention a good night sleep.

But so much more is required in order to complete a Comrades Marathon. Nearly 17 000 runners have trained and trodden countless kilometres of tarmac in preparation for the 2010 Comrades ultra marathon, to be held on Sunday 30th May. The 89km race starts in Pietermaritzburg at 5:30am. In the morning chill, local supporters barbeque and cheer the runners along as they start on the first of 'big 5' hills that will require defeating. From undulating terrain that offers fairly comfortable running to a steep decent of 500m in only 22km, the Comrades Marathon route is both gruellingly agonising and spectacularly beautiful. With the rolling hills of the Cato Ridge farmlands and the large country homes that hug the hillsides of Hillcrest, the winter beauty of Kwazulu Natal in South Africa can hardly be matched.

Televised to millions, the Comrades Marathon is an ideal opportunity for suppliers and sponsors to be noticed. Branding is seen from the first whistle to the winners finish tape. Unilevers' Flora Feather Banners are on display at the final lap of the Sahara Cricket Stadium and Reebok, Nedbank and Bonita’s Medical Fund Expand a Sign banners and branding are everywhere along the 56mile course. Restaurants at the roadsides set their banners up and Estate Agents, small businesses and franchise companies all take the opportunity to get their name and logo out there at such a significant annual sporting event.

We have 2 Expand a Sign employees running the race this year (they have both completed it before so can't use first time ignorance as an excuse). We will all be enjoying ourselves that day, supporting the runners as they traipse like lemmings toward the sea and closer to that coveted medal.

Personally, I intend to stretch myself out on a deckchair with a cuppa coffee and a blanket and watch the runners go by in the comfort of my winter woollies.

See you on the day!

Cheers,

EAS.

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