Rent banner poles on the high-traffic Diag where thousands of people pass your banner every day.  Banner pole rental is limited to 1 per week per organization unless space permits.  The SORC conducts a lottery each semester for banner pole space.  To find out if spaces are available, contact The SORC.

Tree Banners

  Banners are not allowed in the trees on the Diag or anywhere on the University of Michigan grounds. It is dangerous to climb trees in order to hang a banner, not to mention harmful to the trees.

Diag Banner Poles

  There are 10 sets of banner poles on the Diag, which are avaiable on a week-to-week basis. Advertisers complete a contract with SORC for up to six weeks per semester. SORC drivers place all banners; group members may not place banners themselves.

Lottery

  The SORC conducts a lottery at the beginning of each semester for Diag banner reservation appointment times.  The SORC does not assign locations; rather, each group is assigned an appointment time at random.  Earlier appointments have better selection of the "good" spaces.  Spaces that remain open after appointments are available on a first-come, first-serve basis.

  Dates change every semester, but the full details of the lottery are announced via SORC's email list and explained in greater detail on this website in December (for winter lottery) and April (for Fall lottery). 

 

How to Make a Banner

Graphic Design - Do It Yourself

  You can reserve the Banner Production Area and an overhead projector at The SORC.  Transparencies for use with the projector can be made at The SORC for only 50¢.  Bulbs and repairs can be very expensive, so The SORC charges $3.00 per hour to help defray these costs.  The maximum charge is $15.00 per day.

  An 8½ x 11" sheet of paper with 1¼" side margins and ½" top margins is a good scale for a Diag board.  Banners are more complicated, but make the design 10 inches long by 3 inches tall, and you can enlarge the printout on the copier so the projected image will be large enough.

  The simpler the design, the better.  Complex designs with great detail can be difficult to trace and paint.  They ultimately look much different than you intend.

Graphic Design - Student Graphic Artist

  The SORC has graphic arts students on staff to give you pointers on making a catchy design.  They can also transform an existing design into a Diag board or banner for a nominal fee.  You must pay for canvas or banner fabric, but all other necessary design materials are included in the cost of graphic design.  Please allow two weeks for graphic creation.

  Our GAs holds office hours each week while on duty at The SORC.  Hours change every semester; contact The SORC for the GA's current office hours.

  The SORC provides markers, paint and other necessary design supplies when we render our design services, but your organization must pay for the Diag board or banner material separately.  Paint is not necessary unless your completed work will hang outdoors for more than three weeks.  The GAs may have to turn away paint orders because they take up to 8 times as long as marker orders.

  If you already have a design, make a photocopy of your design and indicate what colors you want each part to be.  If you have access to a color printer, it will help us be more accurate in matching the colors you want.  Retain a copy of the artwork.  Design orders are tentative until the GAs receive and confirm them.  Be advised that extensive detail or paint may take more than 2 weeks and may mean additional cost.  In extreme cases, the GAs won't be able to accept paint orders.

  If you want our Graphic Artists to design it, stop in at The SORC to find out what the GAs' office hours are.  You can request that the GAs contact you to schedule an appointment or just stop in during regular hours.  You can also submit an online graphic design work order by clicking here.  For their safety, we do not give out our GAs' home phone numbers or e-mail addresses.  If you are unable to meet the GAs during their regular hours at The SORC, they will contact you by e-mail to arrange an appointment at a time that is convenient for everyone.

Graphic Design - Material Costs

Graphic Artist Design Costs

  We will paint up to 20% of any Diag board or banner if the color you need is not available in marker.  If the paint detail exceeds 20% of the design, the hourly charge for labor will apply.

Graphic Design - Additional Charges That May Apply

  Design time beyond 1 hour: $12.00 per hour extra labor

  Any design, white on a dark color: $12.00 per hour extra labor


Banner Pole Maps

  Click here to view the banner pole location map.

  To download a .pdf file of the banner pole location map, click here.

Banner Pole Sizes

Sets 1-3	10 feet x 3 feet
Set 4A or 4B	12 feet x 3 feet
Sets 5-9	10 feet x 3 feet

  Banners made for Set 4A or 4B will not fit on any of the other sets, and vice-versa.

Materials You Will Need

  Banners for these spaces must be the appropriate size and must be printed on extra-heavy duty banner material, which is available at The SORC.  Free samples of material are available if you would like to purchase the material elsewhere.  Banners must also have 6 grommets (also available at The SORC for a small charge).  Vinyl lettered banners made by a professional sign company are acceptable but must be properly grommeted.  DO NOT ATTACH ROPE.

  You may not use tape, staples, contact paper, or any other adhesive materials.  Use permanent markers or acrylic latex paint; markers are available at The SORC.  When it is completely dry, roll it up; do not fold it.

  All banners must be properly grommeted and must have ventilation holes (slits) cut in them as depicted below. Color your banner before cutting the wind holes. A pair of scissors or an Exacto wkife will be all you need to cut these holes.

Deadlines and Placement

  Banners are due at The SORC by 11:00 p.m. on Sunday.  If The SORC is closed on Sunday, this deadline is extended to Monday at 12:00 noon.  You can submit banners until 3:00 Tuesday, but a $10.00 late fee applies.  If you submit them after 3:00 p.m. Tuesday, they will not be placed until the following week (if you reserved the space).

Fallen / Damaged Banners

  Although SORC drivers make periodic checks, reporting banner vandalism is your organization's responsibility.  Drivers will go back out if the banner is not readable, has fallen down, or has been vandalized.  Inform SORC staff, and in most cases drivers will make adjustments within 24 hours.  If your banner is damaged and requires grommet repairs, additional charges may apply.

Retrieving Your Banner

  Once we have taken a banner down, we keep it for two weeks, during which you can pick it up for free.  After two weeks, it becomes property of The SORC and may be discarded.

Prices