Patent Application
20060251845
The present invention relates to advertising inserts suitable for use on print media. In particular, the present invention relates to advertising inserts that include repositionable items to allow for quick and convenient removal and for portability of the insert.
Advertising inserts have been used in magazines, periodicals, and newspapers to convey messages to consumers. The inserts can be a stand-alone flyer as commonly used in newspapers. In magazines that have a support backing, e.g., a bound magazine, the insert can be part of the backing and the reader can tear the insert from the magazine at a perforated edge. Recently, advertising inserts have been attached directly to the print media. For example, some advertisements are facilitated by use of a single repositionable paper note having advertising signature, such as e.g., a coupon for discounting goods, directly attached to newspaper or direct mail. Labels with preprinted text and/or text are commonplace. Typically, a label, fully coated with adhesive on one major surface, is carried on a liner. A user peels away the label and attaches it to a target substrate. For example, a label having a preprinted name and address can be used with an envelope.
Some skilled in the art are looking at ways to improve the use and versatility of advertising inserts for today's consumers.
In one aspect, the present invention relates to an advertising insert comprising a liner, a transparent carrier including a transparent adhesive, and a plurality of repositionable items. The transparent carrier is disposed on a liner via the transparent adhesive. The transparent carrier has a top surface opposite a bottom surface, the bottom surface being coated with the transparent adhesive. The plurality of repositionable items is disposed on the top surface of the carrier. Each repositionable item comprises a backing having a first surface opposite a second surface. The first surface has a repositionable adhesive coated on a portion thereof. Each repositionable item is stacked on top of another such that the first surface of one repositionable item contacts the second surface of another repositionable item. In one embodiment, the second surface has a release agent coated on a portion thereof. In one embodiment, the second surface of the repostionable item further includes printed text and/or graphics. As used herein, the term “transparent” generally means having the property of transmitting light without appreciable scattering so that images lying beyond can be seen. In one embodiment, there are no images applied to the transparent carrier and/or the liner. The term “repositionable” generally means having the property of being adhered to and removed from a surface multiple times.
In another aspect, the present invention pertains to a method of making an advertising insert. The method comprises the steps (i) providing a first web of repositionable material, the first web having a first surface opposite a second surface, the first surface having a repositionable adhesive coated on a portion thereof; (ii) providing a second web of repositionable material, the second web having a first surface opposite a second surface, the first surface having a repositionable adhesive coated on a portion thereof; (iii) applying an image to the second side of at least one of the first and second webs; (iv) providing a third web comprising a liner and a transparent carrier attached to the liner via a transparent adhesive; (v) stacking the first web, second web, liner such that the first surface of the first web contacts the second surface of the second web, the first surface of the second web contacts a top surface of the transparent carrier to yield a stacked web; and (vi) cutting the stacked web to a controlled depth to yield discrete advertising inserts disposed on the liner. In one method, a portion of the second surface of the first and/or second web and a portion of the top surface of the carrier contains a release agent. In another method, the image is applied to the first web and the second web in registration. The term “registration” generally means that the images on the first, second, and any subsequent webs are in approximate alignment with each other. This feature can be useful because during the cutting steps, the images can be aligned with the cutting device so that they are substantially within the advertising insert.
One advantage of the present invention is that each advertising insert can include a plurality of repositionable items, each item containing a different advertising signature. In this way, the advertiser can convey different messages to the consumer. If desired, however, the insert can contain the same message, e.g., in the case where the advertiser intended to issue multiple coupons for the same good.
Another advantage of the present invention is that both the carrier and the adhesive used on the carrier are transparent so that they do not obstruct the underlying image upon which they are attached. If desired, the repositionable item may contain color and each repositionable item may be of a different color.
Yet another advantage of the present invention is that because each repositionable item includes a repositionable adhesive on its first or back surface, the consumer is able to attach and reattach the item to a convenient location, e.g., in a wallet or purse or in the car, as a reminder. The advertising insert includes a plurality of repositionable items that do not have to be bounded by one edge, like that of a scratch pad, because each item includes its own repositionable adhesive. The repositionable items do not include a perforation for removal from each other or from the carrier. Instead, the consumer can peel each item away from the other or from the carrier for use.
The present invention can be further described with reference to the following drawings, wherein:
These figures are idealized, not drawn to scale, and are intended for illustrative purposes only.
The repositionable items that are useful in the practice of the present invention include paper or plastic notes, paper or plastic flags, and labels. In general, a note typically has a stripe of repositionable adhesive coated on a portion of its first surface; a flag typically has a large portion, e.g., half of the surface area of the first surface, coated with an adhesive; and a label typically has the entire surface area of its first surface coated with the adhesive. Any size of repositionable item can be used to communicate the message to the consumer. Typically notes are larger in dimensions than flags.
Useful adhesives that can be used for the repositionable adhesives are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,691,140; 3,922,464; 5,663,241; 5,714,237; 5,824,748; and 6,017,624. Useful coatings to be used as release agents and/or primers are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,032,460 and 5,202,190. U.S. Pat. No. 4,907,825 describes useful flags that may be used in the present invention. The patents listed in this paragraph are all incorporated by reference.
While the focus thus far has been directed to the use of a transparent carrier and a transparent adhesive, in one embodiment, either or both of those components may be opaque. This particular construction may be useful for direct mail applications, for attachment to the outside of envelopes where there may be no underlying images or where the obstruction of the underlying image is not a concern. In such a case, it may be desirable to have images on the carrier.
