Billboards have been a staple of advertising for decades. We’ve become accustomed to passing by these large roadside signs, which are often showcasing big brand ads we’ve seen hundreds of times (think: McDonald’s). However, out-of-home advertising on the biggest canvas in the game offers unique opportunities to engage and delight your customers that should not be easily dismissed.
Opportunities to Delight
Billboards provide a chance to not only promote your business, but to also bring a smile to your customers’ faces. With large, vivid displays that catch attention, billboards are ideal for lighthearted, humorous, or visually impressive ads. You can brighten up a dreary commute or get people chuckling as they drive by. (You know it’s happened to you!)
Billboards are also placed in locations that can reach customers when they least expect it. And unlike TV ads you can skip or online ads you can block, roadside billboards are unavoidable and unexpected. This gives you the element of surprise to grab interest in a fun way.
Examples of Delightful Billboard Ads
Think about how you might leverage a billboard’s huge canvas to relay your brand message in an unexpected, and thereby attention-commanding, way. Here are a few real examples of billboards being used in extra creative – and delightful – ways to get your gears turning.
- A donut shop had a billboard with a giant realistic donut that made people suddenly crave donuts when driving.
- A shoe brand put up cartoonish billboards of giant shoes “stomping” around the city that made people look twice and laugh.
- A coffee shop created billboards with puns related to coffee that got noticed for being clever and made commuters smile.
The key is to think beyond the typical sales pitch and product shot. Get imaginative with ways to surprise and amuse people as they commute. Associate your brand with positive feelings by making billboards hard to ignore and put people in a good mood.
Delight with Billboard Add-Ons and Special Effects
You can certainly delight your customers with a standard billboard ad by using clever headlines or out of the ordinary designs and imagery. However, billboards offer additional options that simply cannot be replicated with print, TV, radio, or online ads.
As in the donut example above, 3D printed embellishments can be added to billboards, making them come to life in ways no other form of advertising can create. Think about what you could add to your brand message that would literally pop out at drivers as they pass by.
Other options include adding reflective vinyl to part or all of your billboard design to add a sheen or glow to your ad that will attract attention at night. The material will “come to life” as drivers’ headlights pass over them, even if the billboard is already well lit. And of course, selecting a digital billboard provides lots of additional options like color-changing headlines, countdown timers, and other real-time apps.
Finally, extensions can be added so that your brand message extends beyond the billboard. Reaching beyond the bounds of the billboard grabs attention and sends the message that you’re a brand that also reaches beyond expectations.
Your Chance to Delight with Billboard Ads
Billboard advertising may seem old school, but the right creative approach can still delight and inspire customers. (Plus, we think an injection of old school into our increasingly digital worlds isn’t a bad thing!) Don’t miss the opportunity to have fun and connect with your audience in new, enjoyable ways. With smart, innovative billboard ads, you can brighten your customers’ day and leave a lasting imprint for your brand.
So next time you pass a roadside billboard, consider the possibilities for creativity and customer delight hiding in this time-honored medium.