Brief look at Billboards

Billboards are an extremely common form of advertising and often at least a small part of a lot of marketing campaigns, however you don't see many great billboards out there. Lets take a brief look at the billboard industry and a few simple pointers we need to keep in mind when designing for this medium.

Lets start off our brief look at billboards with a fun fact to chew on so you can understand the scope of this specific advertising medium and its impact on potential customers:

According to the Outdoor Advertising Association of America, outdoor advertising (including billboards) pulled in over 6 billion dollars in 2011, 65% of that coming from classical roadside billboards.

Now that that's out of the way we can get to the basics; the core elements people need to take into account when generating a new billboard ad:

The key to a great billboard is simplicity. As most of you know, the worst thing you can do with a billboard is to oversaturate it with content. If possible, design with a minimalist approach. 

Ask yourself: "What message does this need to convey?" and then say that with a little text as possible in the clearest way possible. Speed, clarity, and easy product/ service identification are key here.

Also consider where your billboard is going to be placed. The environment can make a huge difference. If it's posted near a busy street with stop lights, you can probably add a little more information as drivers stop and look around for something to do. On the other hand, if they're on a turnpike or freeway... less is more. Make good use of text and imagery to help your advertisement stand out and make the largest impact with as few elements as possible.

Finally consider your call to action. Most people aren't going to remember a long email or website url, especially when driving and quite a few states have made it illegal to use a cellphone while driving, so make sure your message is memorable and provocative enough to where the viewer will remember it and act on their own to learn more or make a purchase.

Now that you have the skinny, how about we look at some examples?:
My (current) top 2 billboards

Posted in: advertising