Instead of placing posters just out of reach behind Plexiglas barriers, a Boston media company is putting them out for the public to take. The pads of ads, printed on plastic, are posted at grab level with an invitation to take one printed on the top of each. To find out how to get your client’s message on take-away posters, read on. This is one in a Media Life series on buying the new out-of-home venues. They appear weekly. Fast Facts What Advertising posters that are displayed in locations that are conducive to having consumers take them. Who  Alt Terrain, headquartered in Boston. How it works  Pads of rip-away posters are placed at street level where consumers grab one as they walk by.  "Free Poster" is printed above the poster artwork. The "Free Poster" message is easily removed, leaving the original poster intact.  Poster pads are positioned on walls, fences, poles and other structures in hard-to-reach locations like skate parks, beach boardwalks, schoolyards and shopping districts.  "Rip-Away Posters are placed guerrilla-style, very similar to wild postings," says CEO Adam Salacuse. Pads of posters usually stay up four hours to 10 hours, Salacuse says. "Consumers take them down quite quickly." Creative is provided by advertisers or their agencies. "Visually cool, collectable images work best," Salacuse says. "A good example is Disney. For their 75th anniversary poster they had vintage images of Mickey with no advertising on them. They were something that someone would want to take home and put up in their apartment."  Another example is The WB Network’s use of an action shot of surfers for their North Shore campaign. "It’s something a teen or young adult would put up," Salacuse says. "A fun, interesting image." The posters are 24 inches wide by 36 inches high and are constructed out of weatherproof and wrinkle-resistant plastic.  The posters come in pads of ten.  Advertisers use Rip-Aways for branding and special events promotion.   Nationally known brands most frequently use Rip-Aways. Entertainment launches also use them. Rip-Away Posters are often utilized as part of a larger media mix, Salacuse says. "They add value to the entire mix by providing a unique, cool, collectable, buzz-worthy and interactive street-level component to any media plan." The poster campaigns work best in spring, summer and fall in Northeast and Midwest markets and work well year-round in the South, Southwest and West Coast markets.    "When it's freezing cold outside we believe that consumers pay less attention to street-level media and more attention to getting to the next warm location," Salacuse says.   "But these posters are weatherproof and printed on thin, wrinkle-resistant plastic, so they can be implemented year-round in any weather if needed." Markets Available in 25 top urban and suburban markets including New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami, Boston, San Diego, Dallas, Austin, Chicago, Hartford, Washington D.C. and Philadelphia. How measured?  Impressions are measured by pedestrian and vehicular traffic, similar to other outdoor media, Salacuse says.  Additionally, each poster that is taken provides a deeper impression as consumers display them at home, in their dorm room or in their office. What product categories do well? Products and services that are skewed toward young adult and teen markets work best, Salacuse says.   Entertainment is a leading category. Demographics Demographic groups can be targeted through placement in specific neighborhoods within metro markets, Salacuse says. Making the buy  Lead time from approval of artwork is three to four weeks, depending on the market. The average campaign lasts four weeks. Time-sensitive events or brands can be placed over two-week periods. The minimum campaign is 5,000 posters, equaling 500 Rip-Away pads of ten posters each. Pricing is determined by quantity. Quantity discounts are available. Who’s already on Rip-Away Posters? Recent campaigns include Activision, The WB Network and Disney. What they’re saying  "Most media is static. This [Rip-Away Posters] is a high consumer involvement media. It has a lot to do with experiential marketing. Any time consumers get to feel, touch, interact and play with a brand … that’s where it’s at." – Adam Salacuse, CEO of Boston-based Alt Terrain Web site info Alt Terrain at http://www.altterrain.com/ October 27, 2003© 2003 Media Life -Kathy Prentice writes about out-of-home advertising  for Media Life, penning her stories from the resort town of Traverse City, in the upper reaches of Michigan.