As soon as the Montgolfier brothers first ascended above the French countryside in their prototype hot-air balloon, military minds started to think about how best to use the new invention in warfare. The dropping of bombs has been much discussed elsewhere but the dropping of leaflets has been, perhaps unjustly, sidelined.
The leaflet drop was first employed in the Franco Prussian War of 1870. The simple message (in German) declared, “Paris defies the enemy. The whole of France rallies. Death to the invaders...” and was intended to scare the Prussian invaders into deserting by making them think they were outnumbered. Later uses of the military leaflet drop included:
- Location of humanitarian aid
- Directions for deserting or defecting
- Providing information about the times and frequencies of radio broadcasts
- Propaganda about life under alternative regime (communism vs capitalism)
There is little in modern advertising that does not owe something to the history of military propaganda. So even if your organisation is not involved in altering international relations (and we welcome government contracts) your uses for a leaflet drop might not be that dissimilar:
- Location of your business
- Directions for best use of your products or services
- Providing information about your hours of business
- Explaining why your products and services are better than those of your competitors
It is unlikely that your leaflets will be distributed by a man in a hot-air balloon. The practice was discontinued during the First World War, when the Germans (rather unsportingly) started shooting the pilots.
However, it has never been easier to get your leaflets printed. Just use our 'Print Station' online print order system. Make some simple choices regarding fold, page size and quantity and our website will tell you exactly how much you can expect to pay. Alternatively just call us on 01603 488001. There are no hidden charges. Prices include VAT and postage and packaging to one UK address.
At Colour Print we have competitive prices on leaflet printing. See our website for details or give us a call on 01603 488001 for a quote.
