Custom Pull Tab Tickets Don’t Shortchange the “Pop”
While it can be hard to understand for people who haven’t been introduced to pull-tab culture, the appeal of these popular games goes beyond the opportunity to win prizes that can reach hundreds of dollars.
Fans of pull-tab tickets can’t get enough of them, buying them by the stacks in bars, bingo halls and casinos. As promotional campaigns for businesses that include restaurants, fast food franchises, sports bars and more, customers and prospects can’t help but pop them open.
Custom pull tab tickets are a high-quality multisensory experience, from the cheeky themes and custom artwork to the feel and sound of the “pop” that marks the opening of a tab.
Pull-Tab Ticket Fans Pull to Win, but are Particular about the “Pop”
Pull-tab fans quickly recognize the difference between high-quality pull-tabs and the second-rate products that crop up in the market from overseas suppliers, or perhaps somebody’s garage. While the artwork may be sloppy or generic, the biggest difference often comes down to the quality of the “pop.”
There’s a tactile and auditory appeal to it that fuels the addictive fun of sitting around a table in a Midwestern dive bar with a group of friends, sipping drinks and cracking open a pile of pull-tab tickets. It’s the sense of anticipation, excitement and possibility as each pull brings you closer to a possible win. But there’s no denying the multisensory appeal of that satisfying little “pop.”
Scientists studying the strange human compulsion for bubble wrap have found that it is a form of stress relief that leaves people calmer and more alert. There’s a tactile aspect – research shows a connection between touch and consumers’ ability to recall brand names – but sound adds another level of sensory appeal, like the refreshing “pop-hiss” of a soda can opening.
What Makes an Irresistible Pull-Tab?
Like other sensory experiences, sounds can stir memories, feelings and emotions. That’s one reason pull-tabs are irresistible no matter what you win.
It’s also the product of experience, reliability and state-of-the-art equipment. High-quality pull-tab manufacturers know that the sound and feel of the “pop” is a critical feature, along with the artwork, the game play and the security features that prevent counterfeiting and ensure compliance with state regulatory authorities.
It’s not a simple process, but for the millions of players who have incorporated pull-tabs into their social lives, the rewards are greater than the prizes.
Pull tab culture is a unique slice of life across the Midwest as well as in places like Alaska, Louisiana and Beaver County, Pennsylvania. It’s a culture distinguished by a language all its own, with as many different names for the tickets as there are regions where they are sold. From “pickle cards” to “pop opens” to “Cherry Bells” to “tabbies,” pull tab fans call them by a wide array of names. But whatever they’re called, they’re expected to deliver on the “pop.”
The Multisensory Appeal of Scratch-Off Tickets
Custom scratch-off tickets also incorporate the power of multisensory appeal, only instead of a pull and a pop, they provide a little patch of specialty scratch-off ink that conceals an unknown reward and creates the irresistible urge to scratch and reveal it.
That’s the power of multisensory special effects printing; it provides more than a game and more than a visual experience. Scratch-off printing and pull-tabs in fact, are often used for promotional campaigns for the same reason they are so popular as bar games; they’re attention getters.
Promotional pull tabs and scratch-off cards can be used to drive traffic to sports bars and restaurants in the off-season by offering customers the chance to win free food and discounts on a return visit. They are also used to drive traffic to trade show booths and promote new products and menu items.