One of the main bout promotion avenues — for us or any roller derby league — is the poster, a visual manifestation dating to the days of the Guttenberg press that remains a staple for the greatest sport on earth.
We rotated poster designs among our league members this season; Refpocalypse illustrated Blizzard of Oz and Dawn of the Derby, Murmaider created Cinco de Mayhem and Highway to Hurt, Professor Plutonium made Game Over and the upcoming Star Pass of Doom. Former league member Medusa’s Might helped with some layout wizardry early in the season. Whoever designs the poster uses the bout’s theme — such as zombies for Dawn of the Derby or the ’70s for Highway to Hurt — as well as any member suggestions, but they generally assume creative control and come back with an eye-catching product. Some final touches, then off to our sponsor Mitchell Printing/Speedway Press to put poster to paper.
Once printed, the poster responsibility passes from our media committee (creative) to marketing committee (promotional), which takes charge of getting the posters out where they can start building an audience. We keep a spreadsheet of places for the posters to go, then members fan out and hit our targeted businesses and locations … as well as any other establishments willing to take them. We try to blanket Oswego County, sometimes beyond. Oh, and if you want a poster at your local business, let us know by dropping us a line or leaving a comment!
We’re very proud of our posters this season and the work of everyone who helps, from creation to distribution to the places that let us display them. Like everything else, it’s a team effort.