The main drawback from advertising, is that most people don\'t seek it out. Apart from the odd comical television advert, people rarely embrace advertising. That\'s where calendars come in, providing an unusually popular way to promote some business or cause.

The amazing thing about calendars is that in some instances, people actually pay for a calendar (for example, an animal protection charity) and consequently have the calendar on their wall as a constant reminder of that publication\'s cause.

Another factor which keeps calendars in the mind of their owners, is that each month a new image is seen. Some people even avoid looking at a calendar when they first get it, so that each new month is a surprise. This is particularly true when a calendar features a character or personality that the owner is particularly interested in or a fan of.

Calendars stretch across the spectrum of age and class. Retired ladies who love kittens can indulge their fascination with big, glossy kitty calendars. Fervent and optimistic Tottenham Hotspur fans can see their heroes diving and scoring (or attempting to) in full colour, high quality photographs: the most common starting eleven plus the manager, perhaps. For those seeking out more salacious visual material, there also a great many options to choose from, too!

Car manufacturers, charities, tourism boards - just a few of the businesses and organisations that can benefit from a year long advertising campaign, which in many cases can be profitable simply from a the revenue generated by printing and selling the calendar.

One notable success story in the world of calendars is that of the Women\'s Institute members from a small village in Yorkshire, who decided to strip off for a calendar. It was organised by a woman whose husband had passed away, having suffered from Hodgkin\'s Lymphoma, and was dreamt up to raise funds for combating it.

Astonishingly, these middle aged ladies raised over 1 and a half million pounds for Leukaemia Research. The idea of members of the Women\'s Institute taking their clothes off for a photo shoot went against the grain in terms of what WI ladies normally did. As calendars frequently feature scantily clad girls draped over high spec motor bikes, this was a refreshing change - the humour of which grabbed many people.

The calendar\'s success lead to the popular film \'Calendar Girls\', released in 2003 - the pinnacle of this success story.

Of course, not all calendars are going to reach these dizzy heights - but they can still be a powerful way to promote an organisation or company. With a logo or company name constantly visible in a person\'s home, it is a constant reminder. Not only this, but if the photo or image is well thought out and attractively executed, the calendar can have a subliminal impact. For example, really beautiful shots of a motor bike will keep the image in the owner\'s mind, increasing the chance of them considering buying one. In the same way, animal charity calendars bearing pretty pictures of kittens will increase the likelihood of the viewer donating funds to that particular cause.

This versatile advertising medium is suitable for a vast range of causes and businesses. If you\'re thinking advertising, you might well be thinking \'calendar\'.