Billboard Advertising 101

Having an education is great and reading lots of books and articles is great too. However, sometimes just being sensible is enough to get the job done.

My thoughts for this post come after the thousands of miles I’ve driven on freeways going past billboards that are, at best half thought out. Billboards should be the epitome of KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid).

Ever driven by a billboard at 65 mph (or here in Utah, 85 mph) and seen a billboard that was intriguing but didn’t leave you knowing what it was for? How about a billboard that insisted that graphic content was key and consequently used what appears to be a bold 72 point font for the contact info? How about a billboard that was so full of text you couldn’t make sense of it? If you’ve answered “Yes” to any of these questions, you’ve seen a poor example of a billboard.

So with that in mind, here are my top 6 keys to good, successful billboard design:

• Remember that your audience is traveling at 65 mph or faster — their attention span is limited.
• Get to the point, think sound byte-sized copy.
• Billboards can be works of art, however, that’s not their end purpose, use design to enhance readability and ensure the message is delivered successfully.
• Never forget contact info. Your billboard does you no good if I don’t know whose it is, or how I take action. Using an appropriate or custom Web URL or phone number can be very effective. (This also provides a way to track the effectiveness of the billboard.)
• Don’t play “Where’s Waldo” with your billboard. I shouldn’t have to search for the gist or message of your billboard (remember rule #1).
• Don’t be afraid to hire a professional. It may cost you $$ to do so, but imagine what it will cost to design an ineffective billboard (it’ll be like flushing money down the toilet).

Of the billboards I drive by on I-15 here are a few that are good examples:

• AT&T (or is it Cingular?)
• University of Utah medical services
• Blue Boutique
• Cream O Weber

I would list the billboards that don’t do it right but they just don’t stick in my mind nearly as well, imagine that!

Seen any good or bad billboards lately? Share pictures or sponsors in the comments.

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