Writing Matters #1: Rabies Licensing Clinic

19 Jan Writing Matters #1: Rabies Licensing Clinic

I saw the poster below erected next to a road in Bluffdale, Utah, and not only did I stop to take some pictures of the poster to share on Twitter and Facebook, I also knew I needed to share the image here as well.

In fact, it was this poster and its poor writing that led me to decide to launch Writing Matters, a new feature I will suspect become a regular item on this Blog.

So here’s the photo.

Awesome, huh?

What I suspect the creator of this poster was trying to accomplish was encouraging residents to bring their pets to the Fire Station so they could be

• Tested for the Rabies virus, and
• Licensed.

Unfortunately, what the language on this poster actually communicates is that if you have a pet that has been infected with Rabies you should bring that pet to the Fire Station so the pet can be licensed. Ouch!

Obviously, nearly all versions Outdoor Advertising have a limited amount of space for copy and images, and that’s certainly the case with this poster. But that’s really not a good excuse for poor writing.

I believe the focus of the poster should have been on the “When” and “Where” of getting pets licensed. That’s it. Then city officials could have offered free Rabies testing on-site as citizens brought their pets in for licensing. But maybe that’s just me.

Regardless, the “Rabies Licensing Clinic” poster is a prime example of why Writing Matters.

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P.S.  If you come across similar examples of poor writing, I hope you’ll share them with me so I can share them with others here as part of Writing Matters.