Billboard and Outdoor Advertising

In the ongoing debate about the most effective advertising mediums, a lone billboard in rural Minnesota just scored major points for the billboard team. The sign, erected anonymously, has a picture of former President Bush and the caption “Miss Me Yet?” which I assume is some sort of insightful rural Minnesotan political commentary. The billboard may have been getting tons of media attention, especially on the internet, but as far as I’m concerned anyone who really does want Bush back has a few screws loose!

At first glance it looks like someone forgot to close the clear covering on this painfully plain Mercedes billboard. But…upon further inspection we find an eye-catching and creative billboard that mimics the main selling point of the vehicle being advertised! The 2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS Gullwing is a remake of a popular classic car that featured gull-wing doors, which are a special type of door hinged at the roof rather than the side. The billboard does a great job of illustrating this popular and classic look and getting people excited about the release of the new car. Automotive promotion at it’s finest!

A high incidence of driving accidents in Kuwait were attributed to drivers’ having been distracted by their cell phones. Wataniya Telecom, the second-largest mobile operator in the country, wanted to do their part to instill safe behaviors in mobile customers – using a hands-free headset, while still potentially distracting, is nowhere near as dangerous as actually holding or dialing a cellphone while in motion.

To communicate this message, Wataniya placed giant smashed mobile phone replicas near its billboards, where it would look at first like yet another car had gone off the road and only at second glance reveal itself to be a huge phone. The visual meaning was clear, even before drivers read the text on the billboard, and a law soon passed that made it mandatory to wear a headset while operating a motor vehicle.

[via DirectDaily]

Lately I’ve been seeing a lot of ads like this one placed on revolving doors. It’s a good way to get the attention of commuters who are so set in their routines that changing billboards or other advertising surfaces like subway posters don’t reach them – someone walking through a revolving door has to look at it, or risk being mowed down by people on the other side!

This ad for Meiji milk suggests that with the help of the seemingly innocuous beverage, pushing a Sumo wrestler out of your way is as easy as pushing a revolving door. Meiji also used stickers featuring wrestlers, rugby players, and judo masters to represent those who could be conquered with a nice cold glass of milk. You have to give them credit for trying – no one’s really come up with a good advertising campaign for milk since the iconic “got milk?” ads of the ’90s.

[via IBelieveinAdvertising]