We are talking, of course, about billboards. Those huge signs trying to get you to purchase a product or service. Sometimes, however, one of them breaks the mold in a new, original way, just like the ones you’ve seen in our previous article about creative billboards. We looked around the internet and found some more creative pieces of advertisement that make a lasting impression.
The Marketing Funnel
In 2015, Honda came out with a new car — The Honda Fit. Often marked as the Honda Jazz, this car has five doors and features an especially roomy interior.
To show, in a witty and playful way, that anything could fit into this automobile, advertisers created a huge funnel and filled it with the things people might need (or not) to put in their car. Follow the funnel all the way down and you'll see it leads to the Honda Fit. How neat is that?
Spilling the Beans
Fast food is delicious, but most fast-food restaurants have a bad reputation for serving pre-made, unhealthy food. In order to combat this image and set themselves apart from their competitors Bojangles came out with the following ad: Yes, at Bojangles, everything is made from scratch, just as the thick cream spilling all over the billboard illustrates.
We are still not sure what this means in terms of health, but doesn't this just makes you want to stop by Bojangles and get some Country Chicken and Biscuits?
Aiming for the Sky
This article has many great uses of the sky in different ads and billboards, but this one has to be one of the best ones. Benjamin Moore Paints wanted to show off all the different hues and shades they can provide. Instead of relying on ink, they decided to use one of mother nature's gifts to us: the beautiful blue sky.
They put up a metal frame in the shape of a color swatch and left the rest of the work to the universe.
Crisis Averted
Ads and billboards become incredibly more effective when they demonstrate what they talk about. In this case, the Colorado Crisis Services wanted to remind people they can always reach out when they feel like things are starting to get out of hand.
These two different variations of ads visually express what readers might be feeling just before they decide to pick up the phone and accept the help they need to get better.
Save the Trees
As we have been using more and more paper and wood in our daily lives, trees have been disappearing from the world. Trees are not only important for us, but they also serve as a living environment for many different types of wildlife.
If we keep on cutting down trees at the pace we currently do, lovely animals like this leopard, would not have anywhere to hang out. A real leopard would never settle for a street light. This ad gets the message across beautifully.
Sky High
If you would have asked us, we'd tell you LEGO is one of our favorite toys. Today, in a time when kids spend less and less time with physical toys and more time online, LEGO has become even more important. But, alas, it can be hard to impress the children of today, or even draw their attention away from their screens.
If there's one way to do it, though, this must be it. Doesn't this ad just make you want to play with LEGO again?
Sparking Joy
Nothing spells out Joy more than comfortably chilling at home with family and friends, especially during the holidays. Ikea knows that, but they wanted to remind customers that happy holidays start with a decorated yet functional living space.
In order to get their point across, designers put up real furniture on this holiday-themed billboard. If you take a close look, you'll be able to see it spells out the word joy!
Stronger Than Ever
How do you get more kids to drink milk and make sure they get enough calcium? Just promise them super-human strength. This clever ad was put up on a tall building rather than on a simple billboard.
Covering a few floors, the poster creates the illusion that this tiny kid is strong enough to push the building out of the way. Who wouldn't want to drink more milk after seeing that?
Jumping Off the Page
When an advertiser gets the priceless (or maybe rather pricy) opportunity to use two billboards one on top of the other, that's when true artistic thought can finally shine through. Paradise Pools and Spa wanted everyone to know that the ultimate summer holiday can be found in their location in Charleston, South Carolina.
The kid sure looks like he's having the time of his life! Just looking at these two billboards makes us want to jump into a big pool.
One Moment Please
One of the best ways to generate immense anticipation for something is to simply countdown to it. Don't you just love seeing the seconds and minutes go by? There is nothing more exciting than knowing that in a few minutes' time, the thing you have been waiting for is finally going to happen.
When Dunkin' Donuts opens in a new location, all they have to do is put an interactive countdown clock on a billboard and watch as hope and anticipation grow.
Believe It
Advancements in medicine have made it so that many times, things we couldn't even have conceived in the past are now a reality. Saint Luke's Health system approached a marketing agency to help them get that message across. Making it seem as if a part of the billboard is peeling off is how achieved their target.
The word "Unbelievable" turns into believable, convincing viewers to justifiably trust this health system with their lives.
Neatly Packed
Whether you are an individual looking to mail a heavy package or a business that ships out products every day, we could all use some help when it comes to mailing out massive boxes. DHL is already a well-known and established brand, but this billboard emphasizes one specific service they provide that not everyone is aware of.
This billboard is a reminder to us all who we should call when we need to ship something, big or small.
Oops, This Ad Slaps!
Don't you just hate it when you accidentally drop your phone? Sometimes nothing happens, but other times you pick it up only to find that your entire screen is cracked and needs to be replaced.
To truly demonstrate the frustration that we feel when that happens, this billboard seems as if it has fallen down and is now broken. After advertisers caught your attention with this visual, you can read all about O2, the company that will gladly repair your screen.
Simple and Smart
Great advertisers know how important it is to use pre-existing elements to their advantage. It is an easy and affordable way to show inventiveness. The poster itself only has a red background and the writing "Open at Night." It is only at nighttime and when the lights are turned on, that one can understand this ad.
The light emitted creates the perfect and well-recognized "M" for Mcdonald's.
Great Advertising. Period.
Some products are harder to advertise than others. Absorbent underwear that can be used during that time of month instead of tampons or sanitary pads is one example of that. But Thinx thought of the best way to do it.
This interactive ad has the word "Stains" written on it in red, but in a few moments' time, the writing disappears! The ad is demonstrating what the product does. How cool is that?
Take It Home
Some ads exist in order to raise awareness for important issues. Like, for example, the illegal importation of dogs. This poster was put up in London and was first covered by little stuffed dogs and puppies.
At the top right corner, written in white is the request to pick a puppy and take it home. So far, so sweet. But as people take the dogs, the ad reveals what it actually about, and we fully support its message.
Eye Candy
Who doesn't like chocolate? We all do. But how much do you actually know about this yummy treat? This clever ad is for an exhibition dedicated entirely to chocolate. In order to draw people's attention, this billboard was erected.
At first, it was completely wrapped, but over the course of a week, details were slowly revealed as the wrapper came off. Thanks to the original idea, the exhibition became a great success.
A Furious Feline
Relax! This isn't real, but it sure looks like it, right? As you can tell, this innovative ad was put up in Tokyo, Japan. While it looks like a giant 3D cat is about to jump out at you, it is actually a digital screen that creates this effect.
The furious feline has impressed many and became somewhat of a social media phenomenon. The billboard itself is actually 8-by-19-meter (about 26 by 62 feet) and is made up entirely out of LED!
Colorful and Kooky
Since its inception, Apple has been known as a cool and creative brand. Their colorful and beautifully designed music player, the iPod was all the rage with teenagers in the late '00s. As an ad should always serve the brand identity, it is only fitting that this one is colorful and kooky.
The small little music player holds inside many different albums that are just bursting out of it in bright, vivid colors.
Absolut Ikea
This magnificent billboard is not only visually pleasing, but it also has a pretty cool story behind it. The ad is providing two different brands with great publicity! In order to promote Absolut Vodka, which is a Swedish brand, advertisers decided to ask another well-known Swedish brand to cooperate with them.
Ikea designers used real furniture to furnish this New York-sized apartment, which is shaped like a bottle of vodka. This ad must be one of the best we've seen so far!
Immense Energy
You know the story about David and Goliath? According to the biblical story, Goliath was an unbeatable giant until young David surrounded him. This ad offers an explanation as to what really went down there.
In order to have the energy needed to throw such an enemy, David must have drunk some Lucozade! Obviously, he didn't, yet you have to admit it makes for a compelling ad.
A Striking Slogan
For their thirteenth Doctor, creators of the massive cultural phenomena "Doctor Who" decide it's time to have an actress portray the beloved character. Jodie Whittaker was wisely chosen.
In order to get people excited about the new season, advertisers came up with a simple yet striking slogan. "It's About Time" since the show itself is about time travel and because it's time to have a female Doctor! Get it?
See What's Next
While Netflix is one of the biggest streaming services in the world, it is rumored that more and more millennials are ditching it for its competitors. In order to try and appeal to the younger generation, they put up this sign urging us to never give up our dreams, reminding us that they started out by mailing DVDs.
The streaming giant must have a huge advertising budget, but was it put to good use in this case? We are still undecided.
Drinkable Billboard
We never thought we'd put the words "drinkable" and "billboard" together, yet here we are. Everyone knows what Coca-Cola tastes like, yet there's nothing that puts a brand in a positive light more than freebies.
In an attempt to get more people to try Coke Zero, this billboard actually shot the drink into a drinking fountain using a giant straw that spells out "Taste it."
Legoland
Lego is a household name all over the world and being a toy company, they get to have the most fun with their billboards out of the brands.
Tailoring the poster specifically to its location, they created a pixeled, lego-like image of the road, bus stop, and trees. They, of course, added a touch of imagination, as this is what Legos are all about.
A Pretty Penny
The idea behind this one was simple: the image of the car will be made of pennies equal to the amount of money you'd need in order to buy it, proving the car to be affordable. But many people saw this as a chance to get free money, and in a few days' time, the ad was completely bare.
Was this done on purpose or not? Either way, this campaign surely generated a lot of buzz for the brand.
Double Date
Just like many other brands that have made this exclusive list, Axe is also well-known for its powerful and efficient advertising. This time, they outdid themselves, printing out an ad that looks like a calendar, using the building's pre-existing windows to signify potential dates you'll score if you wear Axe.
Intelligent wordplay and imaginative use of the environment? This ad truly has it all.
Careful There
We think this ad won. There's no way anyone could walk past this and not look at what seems to be a fatal accident waiting to happen.
We are not sure how they created the optical illusion of a car about to fall, but boy is it scary to look at! Of course, by the time you realize it's just an ad, you're already convinced you NEED to call Allstate about your car insurance.
Drop Everything
In this day and age, there is nothing worse than having poor cell signals and no wi-fi. Dropped calls are usually a sign it's time to move on and try something new.
This topic can be kinda boring to discuss on a billboard, but whoever came up with this creative idea knows how to think outside of the box. The word "Call" is literally on the ground, making this an ad that would never go unnoticed.
Crashing It
Coca-Cola is one of the world's most successful brands and it shows in their marketing budget. They are known for smart, eye-catching campaigns, and this one is no different.
Taking advantage of the crane on top of the building, the brand printed a poster that simulates the insides of a vending machine. If they put an actual Coca-Cola vending machine at the bottom of the building then this is just perfect.
Selling Corn
The Israeli version of Seven-Elven found a creative but peculiar way to advertise that it's looking for new employees. While most of us would want to work in what they call a "Unicorn" (a company that's worth over $1 billion), not everyone can.
The silly pun might attract you or put you off, but we have to admit that we totally fell for it. Where can we apply?
Have a Break, Have a KitKat
If you know the brand's slogan, this ad is perfect. Literally demonstrating what the brand is all about, it seems as if the guy who was supposed to glue this ad to the billboard stopped in the middle to have a snack.
The only problem is that if you don't know the slogan, the ad becomes ineffective, so maybe it would have been better to go with something else?
Winging It
Red Bull is a soft drink that has made a name for itself using smart advertising. Their slogan might not make a lot of sense but it's definitely both catchy and memorable.
Is there a better way to sell an energy drink than to show an athlete about to score a point just after drinking it? If there is, we couldn't find it.
You're Under Arrest
Does this show really need advertising? Is there anyone who hasn't heard of Brooklyn Nine-Nine? This police comedy TV series had over 150 episodes spanning over eight seasons. It has wrapped in 2021 but is still loved and remembered by many.
We are sure that New Yorkers were happy to see the faces of Andy Samberg as Jake Peralta and Andre Braugher as Captain Raymond Holt up in the sky.
Stop Praying
Finding a parking space is one of these things that never stop being a problem. We've all been there, looking for a place to put our car for way too long. Well, that's why we need big billboards to let us know where to go.
This ad is both funny and functional, so after getting a good laugh out of it, you will happily get rid of your automobile and be able to move on with your day.
A Good Taste
Edible ads are all the rage and with good reason. They are fun and interactive and leave a good taste in potential customers' mouths.
This delightful experience was actually the first of its kind in the whole wide world! It was put up at Covent Garden, in central London. While we are sure the kids appreciated this, maybe wrap the chocolate next time?
A Fishy Surprise
Restaurants that serve fresh fish are superior to those that opt for frozen ones, so we get why "Le Genois" wanted to emphasize that aspect. But, is using a giant protruding fish really the best way to go?
One might say that yes, it is, as it definitely caught our attention. One might say no, as it scared the bejeebers out of us.
Bursting Out
In order to show off the strength of their new polo car, Volkswagen went all out, literally.
This car is bursting out of the wall, still intact. This combination between a 2D wall, and a 3D car and bricks creates the illusion that this automobile can handle anything you'd try to put it through. At first, we thought this ad was against the atrocities of car accidents, but oh well.
Tuning in
Many advertisers use a printed image of what seems to be a person in order to draw attention to their billboards.
This radio station took it a step farther and had a real-live person stand tied to the billboard to demonstrate how impossible it is to stop listening once you've tuned in. This is definitely the way to get people to notice, we just hope this man wasn't stuck up there for too long.
A Guiding Light
One of the keys to effective advertising is using existing elements to your advantage. This makes the ad look interactive without having to break the bank. Creativity goes a long way.
In this case, in order to advertise the 2008 Olympic games, this billboard was put up. The players all seem to be reaching out for imaginary balls. But instead of putting the volleyballs in the ad (that would be too obvious), the light from the lamps above serves as the visual repression of the allusive spheres.
A Huge Success
Sometimes, a simple, straightforward ad can be even more enticing than an overly-clever one and Philadelphia brand Cream Cheese knows that. It is impossible to look at this image and not want to snack on some chips with cream.
If you were not convinced by the imagery, the ad also promises free easy recipes. The sheer size of this installment is demonstrated by the tiny man standing next to the mighty cream cheese.
Food for Thought
Nakd, the vegan-friendly, gluten-free energy bar found the best possible way to get people interested in trying out the brand. People like nothing better than free food. In a bold marketing move, the ad was created using only Nakd bars, inviting people to take one and try it.
Passers-by are encouraged to taste the brand's different flavors. "Find your Fave" is spelled out using the nutritious bars as well.
A Master-Ad
Some of the most powerful advertisements are ones that work without a slogan or any text at all. The creators of this Mastercard billboard created the illusion of the card's recognizable logo using two wide brim hats.
From a distance, the image is instantly noticeable and identifiable, and from up close one can see the two women who are having a great time at the beach.
Eye-Catching
Subway was founded in 1965 and has since taken over the world. This Australian ad for the chain's submarine sandwiches knocked it out of the park not with clever design, but clever placement.
By installing their billboard under an advertisement for an optometrist they created an effective and amusing visual without having to spend a fortune on graphics.
Some Assembly Required
If there's one place that probably doesn't need the billboard in order to get noticed, it might be Ikea. Still, they came up with this ingenious idea — at first, it seems as if the ad was put up all wrong, which makes it hard to look away.
But, upon further inspection of the eye-catching billboard, it is understood that this is no mistake but a clever ad for the chain's assembly service.
Hiding in Plain Sight
Nobody likes it when they get pimples. Most of us want to stay in and hide. This ad used that feeling to its advantage. The corner of the billboard is pulled from its edge and it seems as if this woman removed it in order to cover her face. This is a smart way of creating negative space.
This ad manages to be effective without having to show us anything gory, which we really appreciate.
Tyrolit Plays the Long Game
Taking an intrepid step forward into long exposure advertising, Tryolit showed off the impressive durability of their knife range as the metal resists rusting. To do so, a billboard of plain sheet metal was erected with a faint outline of a knife in the center.
Over a few weeks, however, the sheet metal rusted due to being exposed to the elements, and left in the center was a gleaming shape of the knife, indicating that the metal used for the knives is long-lasting.
McDonald's Turns up the Dial
McDonald’s has a breakfast menu that is as famous as it is infamous. Famous in the sense that worldwide, millions of customers swear by it. Infamous in the sense that there is a running joke about how strict the cut-off time to order breakfast is.
Using their breakfast menu items as a sundial on a billboard, Mcdonald's further installed an apparatus that casts a shadow like a clock hand pointing at each breakfast item for each hour.
Seagram Asks You to Fill in the Blanks
Seagram India, a distiller of an Indian brand of whiskey, proposed a "this or that" question: drink or drive. You get to answer it for yourself by filling in the missing letters from its billboard.
Bold, white lettering cleverly spelled out Dri _ _ with two checkboxes below with the letters “nk” and “ve” beneath it – urging its consumers to only choose one set of letters to fill in the blanks, therefore, making the responsible choice not to do both at the same time.
Hot Wheels Bends the Road Rules
Some drivers may well have been truly confused while passing under this bridge with what appears to be an offramp flipped on its side. Hot Wheels, the tiny toy cars that have delighted children for generations, continues to make its mark with some mind-bending marketing.
A billboard shaped like a twisting curve of the road was placed against a bridge to give the impression that the road was twisting over.
Carlsberg’s Billboard Is on-Tap
Carlsberg took the step of using its billboard to deliver its product right into the mouth of highly willing consumers. A very simple design, Carlberg installed a street-level billboard complete with a beer tap.
However, this was no prop as we have seen in many other instances of billboard design. No, this beer tap delivered crisp, cold Carlsberg beer straight into cups for passersby. We certainly hope there was someone checking IDs!
Siemens Mixes the Batter
These creative billboards just keep on surprising us. A megalithic cake mixer hovers above the entrance to a building, with its two mixing arms reaching down and ending at the revolving door entrance, insinuating the motion of the revolving doors is being caused by the mixer itself.
This is both smart and eye-catching. These advertisers knew what they were doing.
Royal Bakes a Building
Royal baking powder, a staple for decades in any home of cake and cookie connoisseurs, found the perfect location to advertise their product in what has to be the single most ingenious way possible.
The company found a building that had the perfect angle to hold two billboards at forty-five-degree angles to each other with images of a cutaway of a cake, turning the entire building into a delicious tower of confectionery.
Guinness Takes the Guesswork Out
Guinness Lagers is one of the instantly recognizable standout brands of alcohol. The lager itself is its own branding with its distinct thick, white cushion of foam sitting on the rich, dark liquid.
Capitalizing on this, Guinness erected a billboard of the top of a glass of their lager with the catchphrase Gu - - - ess who? This answer is definitely a no-brainer, and their marketers know it!
Get in My Belly
Talk about getting right into the advert itself. A restaurant chain specializing in buffets made sure that there was no missing their billboard by having it displayed right at and around the entrance of a well-used traffic tunnel.
The title “All you can eat Rest stop” ensured that every passing car had no choice but to pass through the gaping maw of a woman appearing to be swallowing the traffic.
Imodium Saves Your Sheet
Yikes! Imodium brought a very real fear to life-size reality: running out of toilet paper at the most inopportune time. Being a medication to relieve you from the stomach runs, hinted at the consequences of the affliction by displaying an enormous, empty toilet roll hanging on a toilet roll holder.
Imodium, being a household name globally, needed no elaborate slogans or clever catchphrases to let us know what the message is…
Nothing’s Getting Through This Ferris Wheel
Adidas most assuredly has an affinity for goalkeepers when it comes to advertising for soccer events, as this is not the only billboard of its kind featured in this article.
Adidas displayed Czech goalkeeper Petr Cech in a staggering fifty-three-meter high billboard using a Ferris wheel as a backdrop to kick off the Euro Cup 2008 games. Six extra arms were added to Petr’s frame that would rotate as the Ferris wheel turned.
Nike’s Advertising Has No Resistance
Nike created a living advertising campaign of sorts by attaching their billboard to a boat that is dragged by a tiny tugboat. An athlete leans far back in the image gripping tightly onto taught, red bands that lead off the billboard and onto the tugboat.
We have to admit we’re not too sure what Nike’s message was here… their athletes cannot hold the tugboat back? Either way, floating across the bays, this billboard sure made a statement.
IBM Ads With a Purpose
IBM has long been a forerunner of thinking out the box creatively and their billboard adverts follow this very entrenched way of thinking with a series of somewhat interactive billboards entitled “Smart Cities for Smart People”.
These were installed by IBM across cities in Europe. Stating that they were “ads with a purpose”, the billboards were created to offer seating, shelter, and wheelchair accessibility across the city.
Spotify Speaking the Truth
People telling you how they feel — out. People drowning their feelings in music — in. Show us your playlist and we will show you who you are. Well, maybe not who you are completely, but definitely what kind of day you're having.
The creative people at Spotify know all about that, which is how they came up with this clever billboard. We wonder what they would have to say about our favorite Taiwanese thrash pop playlist.
Reaching for the Straws
Seeing this billboard by Coca-Cola, one would think that the construction workers forgot their tools behind as a very long extending ladder sits resting against the billboard next to the bottle of Coke itself.
That is until one realizes the ladder is an enterprising way to grab attention as it leads right up to the gigantic straw dangling out from the bottle. It looks like someone got there first, as the bottle appears…empty.
Billboard Bumper Bashing
The Colorado State Patrol made sure its demand to have the TACT act (Ticketing Aggressive Cars and Trucks) would not go unnoticed by erecting a slightly distressing but eye-catching and attention-grabbing billboard.
The billboard itself is crumpled at the meeting point where a car is a very unfortunate victim of smashing into the back of a truck. The bold lettering “Tailgating isn’t worth it.” delivers the message perfectly.
Let There Be Xenon
Mini promoted its new range of cars with xenon headlights in a way that was sure to attract attention from far and wide. A full-size mini was installed on the billboard with its headlights pointing skywards. A very creative play on the phrase “Let there be light” was used.
At night, two powerful beams are emitted from the headlights, reaching high and bright into the night sky.
No Own Goal Here
Adidas spared no expense when advertising during the 2006 soccer world cup with their billboard at the airport of Munich. An astonishingly large poster of German goalkeeper Oliver Kahn stretched across from one side of the road to the other as traffic passed right under him.
With Oliver in a full goal-saving pose diving for a ball, this is a bold and unforgettable presence made by Adidas during the soccer world cup.
Netflix Doesn’t Take Itself Very Seriously
On the face of it, Netflix appears to be supporting its competition with this massive billboard stating that “Netflix is a joke”. No other wording and no logos to point to another competitor makes this even more confusing.
There was a definite method to Netflix’s madness though: a lineup of new comedy shows. Some self-effacing humor got the attention of the public and Netflix soon revealed it would be hosting a string of stand-up comedy specials.
Mustang Makes the Background Disappear
Ford needed to express just how awesomely speedy its range of Mustang cars is and figured out a mind-blowing way to do so.
Revolutionizing the billboard itself, Ford had a billboard cast out of a particular and very special resin that would perfectly blur anything behind it. In this way, no matter what is behind the billboard or whatever condition the is in, it appears that the Mustang is speeding past!
The Noodles Witty Doodle
Bringing in elements of the surrounding environment is definitely a theme for billboard advertisers. When combining this with a healthy dose of wit, advertising becomes even more effective. Noodles Company hung a billboard in a parking lot, just above a row of parking bays.
With the very witty “Recipes imported from more countries than these cars” catchphrase and arrows pointing to the cars below it, Noodles Company made quite the statement.
Oreo Eclipse
Oreo took full advantage of a current event and made good use of it by joining brand identity with…an eclipse. When a major eclipse was taking place in 2015, the Oreo marketing team found a brilliant way to mimic the Oreo cookie as the eclipse itself.
Using a digital billboard, the top half of the Oreo cookie appears to be sliding over the creamy center and bottom half – the same as the moon positioning in-between the Earth and the sun.
Marketing with Meaning
The Stuttering Foundation did something rather unconventional by combining identical billboards to convey a very particular and important message. To advertise its work and services with those who deal with stuttering, they wrote the message “Be patient with those who stutter.”
They placed it on three billboards positioned behind each other in succession to portray a repetition of syllables – the way that someone who stutters would say the sentences.
The Dark Billboard Rises
Warner Brothers spared no expense when it came time to market “The Dark Knight Rises” in 2012. This included some highly imaginative promotions.
For instance, this billboard in the United Kingdom was used to announce the release date of the movie. Building off instant brand recognition, the Batman emblem appears to have been smashed through on the billboard with a subtle “July 20” beneath it indicating the anticipated date in which The Dark Knight will rise in a cinema near you.
Thinking Out of the Box
A company specializing in property and real estate proved that packing boxes can be as innovative as thinking out of them. Edina Realty created the illusion of a stack of boxes ready for moving day as their billboard advert.
Some clever cuts and protruding pieces ensured that while staying within the dimensions of the billboard, it appears as if the boxes are three-dimensional. Their marketing message “helping 23,000 buyers a year into new homes” was scrawled in felt-tip on the boxes, emulating labeling.
20th Century Fox Fights the Tide
When 20th Century Fox released their 2004 epic “The Day After Tomorrow”, they knew how to bypass the competition. As the movie depicts a global catastrophe with rising sea levels, the marketers had a very innovative idea.
Instead of placing the billboard above the usual highway or boulevard spots, they placed it in…the ocean itself, foreshadowing the rising water levels the actors have to contend with in the movie.
A Lightbulb Moment
This billboard may be intended more for the passive audience rather than the active audience. The Economist advertised their media house by fixing a giant lightbulb onto an untraditionally low billboard. Rather than sticking out over a highway, this billboard was almost at street level. The lightbulb at first does not appear illuminated.
However, motion sensors capture the movement of a passing pedestrian and trigger the lightbulb to “switch on” over the unsuspecting pedestrian’s head.
Waste Not, Want Not
In the town of Denver, Colorado, the local water board advertised itself with a very important message. Confusingly, a large portion of the billboard appears to be missing and the frame billboard is visible. At the far end of the frame though is a small strip stating “Use only what you need”.
A rather clever play on urging residents to not waste any water in the same manner that the water board did not need to use an entire billboard to get the message across.
Gentlemen, Start Your Engines
Audi and BMW did not shy away from their rivalry and made the most of their competition in a series of billboards that played off each other trying to outdo each other. Simulating their competition as a game of chess, Audi’s billboard challenged BMW with their SUV displayed and the line “Your move, BMW.”
BMW, fully accepting the challenge, erected a billboard across the road displaying a model of their SUV with the single line “Checkmate”.
Turn Up the Heat
Capsico Sauce proved their slogan “hot and fiery” is no lie with a billboard they put up in India. A bottle of their Red Pepper hot sauce lies on its side, having seemingly spilled some sauce onto the billboard.
The real clever twist is not to show the sauce itself but rather a gaping, burnt hole suggesting that the sauce is so hot…it burnt a hole right through the billboard!
Safe In the Arms of the Police
South Korea boasts prowess and pride in its police force so much so that billboards are erected to highlight their presence and achievements.
A very well-built man in a police uniform is seen flexing his bulging bicep. Curiously though, there are two chains wrapped around it which then transform into two real chains fixed to the back of the billboard, supporting a swing from which a child gently sways, indicating the safety and support the police force provides.
Applying Torque to Customer Attention
Craftsman tools made the most of their marketing space by combining a few very inventive elements in a billboard advertising their tools. The billboard itself seems simple enough – a wrench contrasted against a black background.
But glancing downwards we see the pole mimics the shaft of the wrench which ends in a giant hand with a tight grip around it, appearing as if the hand is holding up the entire billboard as a gigantic wrench.
Dracula Takes a Bite Out of the Market Share
In an ingenious innovation, the British Broadcasting Corporation advertised their 2020 drama-horror series “Dracula” on a “transforming” billboard. A haphazard collection of stakes stuck out from the billboard with blood seemingly dripping from them. Creative enough already, right?
However, the true magic happened at night when a floodlight caused the stakes to cast a shadow and it’s revealed that the stakes have been brilliantly arranged to cast a shadow of Dracula’s profile.