The Latest Buzz
What are some of the best performing billboard campaigns ever?
Several highway billboard campaigns have made a significant impact through strategic placement and extensive coverage. Here are a few standout examples:
- Apple's "Shot on iPhone" Campaign: The brainchild of Craig Hanratty, the "Shot on iPhone" campaign is renowned for its global reach, showcasing stunning photos taken with iPhones across various cities from real users. The billboards were spread across key urban centers and highways worldwide, such as in the U.S., Europe, and Asia. Estimates suggest hundreds of billboards were used, effectively creating a gallery of user-generated content that emphasized the camera quality of the iPhone.
- Coca-Cola's Share a Coke Campaign: This campaign utilized about 150 digital billboards across the U.S. highways and cities. It became memorable for the interactive nature, where users could see their names or personalized messages on large displays. Coca-Cola used billboards in areas with high traffic volumes, like Los Angeles, New York, and along major interstate highways.
- Netflix's Outdoor Advertising: Known for its creative and sometimes provocative billboard ads, Netflix used over 400 billboards to promote its original series and films. The ads were concentrated in markets like Los Angeles and New York, with a significant presence along roads like Sunset Boulevard and highways like I-405 and I-5 in California, ensuring visibility to daily commuters and road trippers alike.
- McDonald's Golden Arches Campaign: McDonald's executed a campaign using a series of minimalist billboards along highways, simply displaying parts of its golden arches, guiding drivers towards the nearest outlet. This campaign is an example of using around 250 billboards across various states to draw in highway travelers. The clever use of brand symbols helped maintain high brand visibility and drive traffic to nearby locations​
These campaigns were successful because of their strategic placement along heavily trafficked highways and their ability to engage viewers, whether through user-generated content, interactive elements, or simple yet effective messaging.
FAQs:
Q: What makes a highway billboard campaign successful?
A: A successful highway billboard campaign often depends on high visibility, eye-catching design, and strategic placement along routes with high traffic volume. Relevance to local audiences and the ability to capture attention quickly as people drive by are also crucial. Campaigns that feature interactive elements or integrate with digital channels tend to have higher engagement rates.
Q: How do companies decide where to place billboards along highways?
A: Companies typically use data like traffic volume, commuter demographics, and proximity to targeted locations (e.g., stores or landmarks) to decide where to place billboards. The goal is to maximize impressions by choosing high-traffic areas, ensuring the billboard is seen by thousands of drivers each day​.
Q: What types of businesses benefit most from highway billboards?
A: Businesses like fast food chains, gas stations, hotels, and attractions that cater to road travelers benefit the most. These ads can directly influence decisions made on the road, such as where to stop for food or fuel. National brands and services with widespread recognition also use highway billboards to reinforce brand presence across different regions.
Q: How do digital billboards differ from traditional highway billboards?
A: Digital billboards offer flexibility, allowing advertisers to change messaging throughout the day based on real-time conditions or events. This can be especially useful for campaigns that want to adapt to weather, traffic, or specific times of day. Traditional billboards, while static, are generally less expensive and are still effective for consistent, long-term messaging​
Q: Can highway billboards improve brand recognition
A: Yes, highway billboards can significantly improve brand recognition, especially through repeated exposure. When drivers see the same ad regularly on their daily commutes, it creates a strong brand recall. Campaigns that use simple, memorable visuals or slogans tend to be more effective in leaving a lasting impression​.
Share Post
