daisybillboard

 

How do you feel about billboard advertising? Everyday we are inundated with billboards on our highways.  I am not completely anti billboards, they do have a function and some companies utilize them quite well.  However, I am surprised almost daily at the companies who spend a lot of marketing dollars on really bad billboard ads.

When you are on a road trip and you need to tell the kiddos that McD’s is just ahead…billboards are great for telling you how many more miles to gas, food and lodging.  Too many times, I see billboards that try to be all things to all people.  This does not work in billboard advertising…doesn’t really work in any advertising.

Copy that is too small, calls to action like ‘follow us on twitter!’ (Really? If I’m alone in the car how am I supposed to do that?)  In my opinion, billboards should be nice large images that are compelling with few words.  I literally saw a billboard this week on Interstate I40 that listed every single social media icon…as if I could reach up and physically tap the icon. This tells me that their ad was probably made for digital and they decided to throw it up on a billboard.  Waste of money.

I think clever and funny billboards do a great job of getting someone’s attention and there are many times that I am driving and see a clever billboard and think, that company just got my attention! Here’s an article about really clever billboards. Which one is your favorite?

According to About Advertising, there are six basic rules of billboard advertising. 

1. Six Words or Less is Ideal

2. Don’t Make Your Billboards a Huge Distraction

3. This is Not the Time for Direct Response

4. Billboards should be smart but not too clever

5. The More Billboards the Better

6. Don’t Say it, Show it