Professor's 4-second rule changed my protest sign game

Last month at a free speech rally on our quad in Austin, a poli sci professor walked by my sign that said 'Censorship is a gateway drug' with a filter icon drawn on it. He stopped and said it was too clever for its own good, that people walk past signs in 4 seconds and can't parse wordplay that fast. I was annoyed at first, but he showed me his old signs from the 80s, just big bold words like 'LET US SPEAK' in sharpie. So I redid my next sign for the counter protest with 'SAY IT LOUD' in red block letters and a megaphone drawing. The difference was real, more people actually stopped to read the simple one. Has anyone else gotten feedback that made them simplify their protest materials? I'm wondering if the nerdy signs only work in smaller settings like class debates.