Corrugated cardboard advertising totem: 6 creative ideas for using it in your business

A well-placed ad is sometimes worth more than an entire shop window. The corrugated cardboard advertising totem is built on exactly that idea: it takes up little space, yet gives you an eye-catching surface where you can get your message across in a few seconds. Whether it's a sale, a new product, an event or simple directions, with clever graphics you can get a huge range of uses out of it.

What's more, you don't need a complicated installation or a heavy display structure. A totem made of corrugated cardboard is light, easy to move, and you can tailor its entire surface to your own branding.

Here are six areas where it can work especially well!

1. In shops – guide your customers' attention!

In a shop, customers are constantly making decisions. Should they stop at a shelf? Take a look at a new product? Take advantage of a discounted offer?

A well-placed advertising totem can help with these decisions.

At the shop entrance, for example, you can draw attention to current sales or seasonal offers. Next to the shelves you can highlight a new product, and near the checkout you can display an offer that encourages their next purchase.

Practical tip: Instead of the generic "Check out our deals!" message, use something specific. For example: "The second item is now 30% off!" That way customers instantly know why it's worth stopping.

You can even use the different sides of the totem for different messages. One side can show the sale, another the product photo, and a third a QR code that leads straight to your webshop.

2. In hotels – information and advertising in one place

In a hotel, guests may need a lot of information even after checking in. Where is the spa area? How long is breakfast served? What activities are available in the area?

They don't necessarily have to ask the front desk about these things every time.

Advertising totems placed in the lobby, next to the elevators or at the entrance of the spa area can help guests find their way and promote the hotel's services at the same time.

For example, one side of a totem can show the spa's opening hours, another a massage offer, and a third the current menu of the hotel's own restaurant.

Practical tip: You can separate the different pieces of information with colors and easily recognizable pictograms. That way guests can find what they're looking for more easily, even from a distance.

3. In clinics and health centers – help people find their way!

In a healthcare facility, it's especially important that visitors quickly find the right room or service.

A totem placed at the reception desk can show the direction of the specialist departments, while in the waiting room it can provide information about screening tests, new services or how to book an appointment.

While waiting, people can usually spend more time reading information, so somewhat more detailed content can be placed here.

Practical tip: On a totem promoting a screening test, it's enough to list a few key details. Use a QR code for the full details and for online appointment booking.

In healthcare communication, readability is especially important: use a large font size, good contrast and simple, clear wording.

4. In beauty salons and gyms – show what else you offer!

A hair salon, beauty salon, fitness studio or other service business often offers more services than its customers know about.

An advertising totem is a great opportunity to present these too.

Placed at the reception desk or near the waiting area, you can promote new treatments, membership packages, seasonal discounts or loyalty programs.

Eye-catching photos and short, benefit-focused messages work particularly well here.

Practical tip: Don't just write the name of the service! Highlight two or three specific benefits, then add a QR code that leads to the price list or the booking page.

That way a customer can discover and book a new service even while waiting.

5. At events and cultural venues – promote the next show!

In cinemas, theaters, museums and event venues, visitors are already interested in the programs on offer. It's worth making the most of that attention.

An advertising totem placed in the foyer can present the next exhibition, concert, performance or event.

Good event advertising often doesn't need long text. An eye-catching image, the name and date of the event and a QR code leading to ticket sales can be enough.

Practical tip: If you want to promote several programs, a three- or four-sided totem can be an especially good choice. A different event can go on each side, so you can present several programs with a single advertising tool.

6. At exhibitions and conferences – make the most of the multi-sided display!

At an exhibition or conference, many ads often compete for visitors' attention. In that situation it's especially important that your message is quick to understand and clearly visible.

The corrugated cardboard advertising totem can be placed at the entrance of your stand, next to the products on display, or even along a corridor.

Thanks to the multi-sided design, visitors coming from different directions can all encounter your brand.

One side can show your company name and logo, another your main product or service, and a third a short offer or QR code.

Practical tip: At conferences you can also use the totem for directions. A clearly visible arrow and a short label – such as "Registration" or "Lecture hall" – is often more useful than an overcrowded information board.

How to design a truly effective advertising totem

One of the biggest advantages of an advertising totem is its relatively large printing surface. However, that doesn't mean you have to fill every square centimeter with text.

Most people only look at an ad for a few seconds. That's why the most important thing is that the message is understandable at first glance.

It's worth thinking in three levels:

1. Attention-grabbing: a short, strong headline or an eye-catching image.

2. The key point: the most important benefit of the product, service or offer.

3. Call to action: for example "Scan the QR code!", "Book an appointment!" or "Look for it in the store!".

Avoid long paragraphs, fine print and too many competing visual elements.

A simple design trick: Shrink the graphic on your monitor and look at it for just three seconds. If it's still clear in that time what the ad is about and what you want the viewer to do, you're on the right track.

Don't make the QR code too small either, and always check that it can be scanned comfortably on the final print.

Which corrugated cardboard advertising totem should you choose?

In PrintONE's range, you can choose from three shapes of corrugated cardboard advertising totem. Each can be printed with your own graphics and ordered in heights of 160, 180 or 200 cm.

Rectangular advertising totem

The version with a 50 × 10 cm cross-section provides a wide, easy-to-read advertising surface.

It's an ideal choice for larger product photos, bold headlines, sales and messages where easy readability is important.

Triangular advertising totem

The version with three advertising sides is especially practical if visitors approach from several directions.

It can work well in shops, at conferences, at exhibitions or in places where you want to display several different messages.

Square-based advertising totem

The four-sided version with a 30 × 30 cm cross-section offers advertising space in every direction.

It's an especially good choice for places people can walk around, such as the central area of a shop, exhibition stands or larger lobbies.

Light, practical and recyclable

Corrugated cardboard advertising totems are not only eye-catching but also practical. Thanks to their light construction, they're easy to move and provide a clearly visible advertising surface even on a small footprint.

They're made of paper-based, recyclable material, so they can be a more environmentally friendly alternative to traditional plastic-based advertising tools. Whether they can be recycled separately also depends on the printing and surface finish.

It's important to note, however, that corrugated cardboard totems are made for indoor use. They are not recommended for places exposed to moisture, rain or persistent humidity.

One advertising tool, endless possibilities

A well-designed advertising totem can be an attention-grabbing ad, an information display and a helpful guide for customers all at once.

The secret to success isn't lots of text, but good placement, a clear message and the right graphics.

Want your own advertising totem?

At PrintONE you can order it in three shapes and several sizes, with custom printing. And if you don't have finished graphics yet, we'll help with the design too.