There’s a lighthouse on the PA Turnpike.
Well… sort of.
Just outside the eastbound Bedford exit, a new Penneco Outdoor Advertising billboard for longtime customer Resort Realty is turning heads—and it’s easy to see why.
The billboard features a lighthouse that actually extends above the billboard itself, creating a dimensional element that stands out against the surrounding landscape. And when the sun goes down, the lighthouse lights up, giving the billboard an entirely different look after dark.
It’s a pretty clever way to get noticed.
But there’s a bigger lesson here.
In outdoor advertising, getting noticed is only the first step. The real goal is to be remembered.
Drivers have just seconds to take in a billboard as they travel down the road. That means advertisers have to make those seconds count. A strong message matters. Strategic placement matters. But sometimes, it’s the unexpected creative element—the thing that makes someone look twice—that turns a billboard into something memorable.
And that’s exactly what makes the Resort Realty billboard such a great example of creative billboard advertising.
Think Beyond the Billboard
A billboard doesn’t have to be just a flat sign with words and an image.
When you think creatively about the entire structure, its surroundings, the viewing experience and even how it looks after dark, you open up opportunities to create something that catches attention in a completely different way.
That’s where outdoor advertising gets interesting.
A Billboard Designed to Get a Second Look
Billboards have a unique challenge.
Drivers don’t have several minutes to read them. They don’t get to stop and study the design. In most cases, you have just a few seconds to make an impression.
That means effective outdoor advertising needs to be:
- Easy to understand
- Visually compelling
- Relevant to the audience
- Memorable
- Visible from a distance
Resort Realty’s billboard checks those boxes—but the lighthouse takes the concept a step further.
Instead of simply placing a lighthouse image on the billboard face, the design makes the lighthouse feel like it’s coming out of the billboard.
That unexpected visual element gives drivers a reason to look.
And when a billboard makes someone look twice, you’ve already won an important part of the battle for attention.
Why Dimensional Billboard Design Works
Traditional billboard design relies on a large, flat canvas.
But outdoor advertising doesn’t have to feel flat.
Adding dimensional or structural elements to a billboard can create visual depth and make the advertisement stand out from the other signs competing for attention along a busy roadway.
In this case, the lighthouse creates a silhouette above the billboard that can be recognized even before a driver has had the opportunity to read the message.
That’s powerful.
Because good billboard advertising isn’t just about what the sign says. It’s about what people notice first.
The lighthouse becomes the hook.
Then the billboard copy delivers the message:
OBX Vacation Rentals
Real Estate Sales
It’s simple, direct and immediately connected to the imagery.
The result is a billboard that communicates what Resort Realty does while creating a visual experience that is much harder to ignore.
Make Your Billboard Shine After Dark
Here’s where this billboard gets even more interesting.
The lighthouse isn’t just impressive during the day.
It lights up at night.
That means the billboard’s visual impact changes as the day changes.
During daylight hours, drivers see the dimensional lighthouse rising above the billboard.
At night, the illuminated lighthouse becomes a completely different kind of visual landmark.
And that’s an important consideration when you’re investing in outdoor advertising in Pennsylvania.
Your billboard doesn’t only work from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
It’s working while people are commuting home. It’s working during evening travel. It’s working when the landscape around it looks completely different.
A creative element that can attract attention in both daylight and darkness can help a billboard remain visually engaging around the clock.
Location Matters, Too
Creative design is only part of a successful billboard campaign.
Where the billboard is located matters just as much.
This Resort Realty billboard is positioned along the Pennsylvania Turnpike just outside the eastbound Bedford, Pennsylvania exit.
That’s an important piece of the story.
A great billboard in a poor location isn’t going to deliver the same impact as a great billboard placed where the right audience will see it repeatedly.
For advertisers considering PA Turnpike billboard advertising, factors such as traffic patterns, visibility, travel direction, surrounding landscape and the amount of time drivers have to view a message all play a role in selecting the right location.
The goal isn’t simply to put a message somewhere people can see it.
It’s to put the right message in the right place where it has an opportunity to make an impression.
Make People Remember the Billboard
Think about the billboards you remember.
Chances are, you don’t remember them because they had 47 words of perfectly crafted copy.
You remember them because something about them stuck.
Maybe it was funny.
Maybe it was clever.
Maybe the design was unexpected.
Maybe you saw it so many times that it became part of your regular drive.
Or maybe—like this one—it had a lighthouse sticking out of the top.
That’s the power of creative billboard design.
A memorable element gives the audience something to associate with the brand.
For Resort Realty, the lighthouse also makes perfect sense. The company’s messaging centers around the Outer Banks, vacation rentals and real estate—so the coastal imagery isn’t random decoration.
The creative reinforces the message.
That’s when billboard design really starts working.
Your Billboard Doesn’t Have to Look Like Everyone Else’s
One of the biggest opportunities in outdoor advertising is that you’re not limited to a standard template.
Yes, there are best practices for billboard design. Messages should be concise. Type needs to be legible. Images need to work from a distance. Branding should be obvious.
But within those guidelines?
Get creative.
Think about how your billboard will look from the driver’s perspective.
Think about what someone will notice first.
Think about whether there’s an opportunity to use the physical environment around the billboard to make the advertisement more interesting.
And most importantly, ask:
“What will make someone remember this?”
Because getting noticed is great.
Getting remembered is better.
From Bedford to Beyond, Let’s Make Your Billboard Stand Out
The Resort Realty billboard is a perfect example of what can happen when strategic placement meets creative thinking.
A familiar coastal image becomes something more.
A standard billboard becomes dimensional.
And a drive down the Pennsylvania Turnpike becomes an opportunity for a brand to make a memorable impression.
At Penneco Outdoor Advertising, we help businesses put their message where people are—and find creative ways to make sure that message gets noticed.
Whether you’re looking for billboard advertising in Pennsylvania, a high-visibility location along the PA Turnpike, or a creative outdoor advertising solution that gets people talking, we’re ready to help.
Your billboard has a few seconds to make an impression. Let’s make them count. Schedule a consultation with Penneco Outdoor Advertising and let’s put your brand where people will see it.