With digital ads taking over our lives, it’s easy to start questioning how long other forms of advertising are going to last.
Unlike other forms of advertising, billboard ads are competing against truly extreme distractors: speeds by the order of dozens of miles per hour, open (and potentially dangerous) roads, distances that make them illegible, just to name a few. To defeat these challenges, designers have come up with all sorts of rules of thumb and best practices that often result in similar, uninteresting approaches. Truly remarkable unique ads are a somewhat rare find. They masterfully combine legibility, memorability, an eye-catching power.
Billboard advertising can arguably have more impact than those that live online, as their sheer size gives them extra impact. But bigger isn’t always better. All of the billboard ads in this article go beyond the obvious to promote their products in clever, witty and innovative ways.
1. Nationwide Insurance — USA
An amazing “billboard” that Nationwide Insurance put up in Columbus, Ohio. This company does not follow the staid, unimaginative route when it comes to billboards, no sir. This is certainly one of the most eye-catching and adventuresome marketing efforts put forth by any company.
Believe it or not, this billboard is NOT an advertisement for paint. This ad is actually part of the Nationwide Insurance “life comes at you fast” campaign. This billboard uses the paint to drive the slogan home. As you can see, the paint looks as if it flowed right off of the billboard, covering the side of the building, the parking lot, and even a couple of cars below.
2. Formula Toothpaste — Indonesia
When you are looking for toothpaste that can provide you REALLY strong teeth, then this billboard of Formula Toothpaste in Indonesia would really convince you into buying.
This billboard was created to highlight the idea that Formula Toothpaste “builds strong teeth.” As you can see, rather than using a pretty model with pearly whites, the billboard shows a man whose teeth are so strong that he is actually pulling the advertisement off of the structure, metal and all.
3. Panasonic — Indonesia
Billboards built around actual electric wires and poles to amusingly yet convincingly dramatize the need for the panasonic nose hair trimmer’s safety cutting system.
In order to advertise Panasonic’s nose hair trimmer, this billboard was displayed directly behind power lines. It uses the cables to show how desperately this man needs Panasonic’s nose hair trimmer while also adding some comedic value to the billboard.
4. Penline Stationery
What if the product you are advertising could actually have a utilitarian function for the ad? Tape, paint, paper, metal, frames, inks. Consider how the ad could become a living sample of your quality.
Penline Stationary came up with a creative outdoor execution. The campaign is entitled as ‘Strong Tape’ and is conceptualized and designed by the creative agency Euro RSCG, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. No other tape advertisement can be better than this one, a tape that can stick up a billboard firmly.
5. Clean Air for the U.S. Government
Sometimes what surrounds the ad is more important than what’s in the ad. Exercise your lateral thinking skills to bring that message to life.
Borrowing the effectiveness of billboards to redirect attention away from the landscape… this permanently open aperture between nations works to frame nothing more than a clear view of the changing atmospheric conditions beyond.
The art piece offers a breath of fresh air from what would usually ad up to something like, “Fast Food-o-mania off Exit 3!” Seattle art and architecture agency Lead Pencil Studio and this installment, Non-Sign II, pwned the other contestants in a creative competition the U.S. government signed off on called the Design Excellence Program.
6. Clock Billboard for McDonald’s
Sometimes ads have a double function that renders them particularly useful for viewers. If that function is universally appealing, you might even be able to attract an audience that wouldn’t be interested in your brand otherwise. This one is a clock, and I haven’t met someone not interested in knowing what time it is yet.
7. Berger — India
What if you can use the environment around your billboard as a part of the concept of the billboard itself? Well, that’s just what happened in India. A billboard for Berger paints makes clever use of the changing colors of the sky to show off the color and natural finish of the company’s new line.
We’ve known for a while that there was a color in Berger’s arsenal called Sky Blue, but we never thought that this billboard ad would take it literally! Great blending of color compared to the sky! However, it may lose some of its impact at night..
8. The Economist
This simple yet ingenious design comes from UK-based creative advertising and brand management agency Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO. The ‘less is more’ idea features a giant lightbulb popping out of the centre of a red background, the only words reading ‘The Economist’. Using electronic motion sensors, the bulb lit up every time someone walked underneath it. A brilliant, effective way to get the message across.
This billboard ad from The Economist is just a brilliant idea. Having a giant light bulb with a motion sensor built-in is just great to look at when driving by and seeing all the smart folk interacting with it. This doesn’t surprise me that much actually. Of course, The Economist would have a few smarty-pants hanging around the office.
9. Cleans Pores, Fights Pimples for Pond’s
The brand’s audience is for those who suffer from acne and want to feel confident about themselves. They have a unique selling proposition by having the woman holding up part of the billboard to cover her face, suggesting that she has pimples that she’s trying to hide. This suggests that people want to hide their face because of their imperfections and that Pond’s products can and will help, as Pond’s is an easily recognizable brand sold in many stores like Target and Walgreens.
The billboard appeals to their audiences through ethos and pathos. It appeals to ethos, the credibility aspect, because Pond’s is presented as a reliable company with widely used products. It also appeals to pathos, the emotional side of consumers, because most people are sensitive and self conscious when it comes to their appearances. When they see a product that can help, they want to give it a try.
10. Two side story BBC World
Ads don’t always need to be flat. Think laterally and involve otherwise disturbing elements like corners and cracks to enhance your message.
This creative advertising campaign made for BBC makes great use of media placement. The message “See both sides of the story” is place on corner billboards, showing a different tale on the same situation.
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