In this age of capitalist consumerism, attention has become the new currency. And despite the
growing trend of digital advertising, the traditional way of promoting products and services
through billboard ads will never go out of style. That’s why agencies are hard at work in coming up
with creative ways to capture those elusive eyeballs, trying to sell us stuff but making
it fun and interactive! Because engagement is the name of the game. Let’s check out these
15 Creative Billboards That Deserve an Award! What’s up, fact-natics! This is Discovery Amuse,
serving up your daily dose of the most outrageous, outlandish, and out-of-this-world fun facts!
Our number one entry must have taken weeks of brainstorming, but the result is nothing short of
breathtaking. So, stay tuned for that one! From witty to what-the-heck, these unique ads
will surely stop you in your tracks! #15. Now Showing!
Promoting a good movie does not rely on explosive trailers alone. Head-turning
outdoor ads could also give potential moviegoers that extra push to head straight to the cinema.
Just imagine having a nice, quiet time at the beach when all of a sudden,
you come across this billboard for the apocalypse movie “The Day After Tomorrow”!
It’s almost like a living, breathing reenactment of the film’s plot!
Meanwhile, passersby at this intersection in Auckland, New Zealand must’ve gotten the
surprise of their lives when this Kill Bill installation suddenly popped up!
Now this deserves an Oscar for best spray-paint effects!
It’s gory, it’s messy and I’m here for it!
Stick around because our top pick will definitely stretch your imagination from sunup… to sundown!
#14: Hot Wheels
When it comes to billboards, it’s all about location, location,
location. Because you have to make people feel like they’re part of the campaign!
Take for instance this Hot Wheels ad on a pedestrian bridge in Mexico. Driving through this
creepy yet totally ingenious ad almost makes you feel like the star of your very own commercial!
Imagine a giant kid seemingly playing with you and your car on his very own toy track!
#13: McDonald’s Mickey D’s certainly makes
some of the most visually captivating outdoor ads that it makes me wonder
whether their french fries has some secret psychedelic that induces the craziest ideas!
When you’re stuck in traffic in one of Manila’s busiest highways and hunger suddenly strikes,
wouldn’t this gigantic ad for the world famous fries make you
wanna take a detour to the nearest drive-thru? The fast-food company also makes clever use of
lighting to put their simple message forward. Just like this ad in downtown Chicago that features
lasers emanating from a giant french fry box that could be seen from miles away!
Meanwhile, who would’ve thought that you could easily replicate their famous golden arches by
using nothing but streetlights! It’s like a “Bat signal” for your late-night cravings!
This next one isn’t technically a billboard but more of an outdoor installation,
but it’s so innovative it definitely deserves a spot on this list. So much effort for
advertising free coffee refills! I guess that’s how Ronald rolls!
#12: FedEx Kinkos There are products that
are naturally an easy sell, like food, toys or cars. And there are others that are more
challenging to market, like, say, office supplies! So I could only surmise how much brain power it
took for the creatives at FedEx Kinkos to come up with these guerilla strategies to sell their
wares like highlighters and correction fluids! And again, it’s all about placement! You didn’t think
they actually painted that pedestrian crossing or the curbside yellow line themselves, did you?
#11: Mondo Pasta By itself, the photo
of a man slurping the pasta-like rope is already visually-arresting. But what makes
this ad even more clever is the tagline! It makes more sense once you realize that
the pasta-rope is actually the dock line that secures the boat!
And in case you’re wondering why the heck would Mondo Pasta
advertise on a boat? Well, technically they are advertising at the Hamburg harbor,
which is one of the busiest ports in Europe, so the strategy certainly holds water.
#10: Calvin Klein Some feminists might
raise an eyebrow on this one, but when it comes to stirring the sexual pot in an innovative way,
this Calvin Klein ad takes the cake. At first, you might think there’s nothing really
groundbreaking about a lingerie ad featuring a woman wearing a lingerie. But wait ‘til it
pours outside and the billboard suddenly turns into its own version of a wet t-shirt contest!
So essentially, it’s advertising a sleeping gown on dry, sunny days, and a brassiere on rainy days!
#9: Miele Vacuum This billboard has a particularly interesting
story… mainly due to the fact that it didn’t even exist in the first place! Better believe it!
The vacuum company wanted to promote their latest product but didn’t really have the resources to
do it. So, what did the playful folks at Miele do? With some mad Photoshop skills,
they faked a billboard strategically placed over a tunnel! They shot a timelapse video of the said
tunnel and superimposed the digital billboard. The video went viral on social media and got
people asking whether the ad was real or not. See! All you need is a little creativity to
generate some serious buzz. For a vacuum company, they sure don’t suck at being resourceful.
#8: Honda Fit #Fitwhatever. This slogan tells you everything
you need to know, without really saying much. And this tongue-in-cheek campaign for the 2015 Honda
Fit in Toronto, Canada sure paints a thousand words… by incorporating a thousand random stuff!
Need to squeeze in bikes, coolers and chairs into your trunk? No problem! Oh,
and don’t forget the canoe paddles! #7: Panasonic
Nose-hair trimmers aren’t the sexiest things to sell. I mean who wants to see
unruly strands of hair protruding from a billboard model’s nostrils, right?
But the creative gods of a renowned ad agency in Indonesia came up with an ingenious solution.
Why not build ads around electric wires? The result? These hilarious billboards that will
surely make you check the next available mirror! They sure have a nose for newsworthy campaigns,
I’ll give ‘em that! #6: BIC Razor
There’s nothing written on the actual sign except for the BIC logo,
and understandably so because they want you to train your eyes instead at the enormous razor,
and the perfectly cut trail of grass! It sure is a masterclass in minimalist design,
but I’m giving it a B- for all the maintenance involved. I mean,
they do need to cut the grass regularly in order not to ruin the whole point of it, right?
#5: Royal Baking Powder
True artists will tell you that inspiration can be found everywhere, all you need to do is see
things from a different perspective. Just like the agency who looked at
this uniquely-shaped building and saw the cross-section of a massive cake!
Now all you need to do is create a sumptuous image of a multi-layered cake and you have yourself the
most mouthwatering baking powder ad! Although it does look like one of the
tenants didn’t want the billboard to be blocking their view of the city.
#4: Allstate Insurance Be careful where you park your car
or you might end up like this vehicle dangling on the edge of a multistorey parking garage!
But that it’s hanging on top of an insurance billboard is no coincidence!
Yup, there’s no better way to get your message across than giving people a mini-heart attack!
Well-played Allstate, well-played. #3: Koleston Naturals
If you’re claiming that your product is all-natural, that what better way to make an
ad that incorporates nature? This billboard for a hair coloring
product in Lebanon couldn’t have found a better model than mother nature herself.
Just look at how the hair color on the die-cut board changes depending on the time of day!
With this level of sophistication, you don’t need to use words to make a lasting impact.
#2: The Economist One day, the agency that worked with The Economist
had a light-bulb moment for a clever campaign. And soon enough, this ad saw the light of day.
There’s a bulit-in motion sensor that lights up the bulb whenever someone passes by,
which stays true to the essence of the magazine’s capability to spark bright
ideas in their readers! It’s incredible how something so simple could be so awe-inspiring!
Before we go to our number 1 pick, do us a solid and make sure to smash the subscribe button and
hit the notification bell! Don’t forget to choose “all” so you won’t miss out on any of our latest
life-changing, boredom-busting content! And of course, be sure to turn on notifications
in your app’s settings! #1: BBC’s Dracula
Man: No please! Dracula: Shh,
food should never answer back. One of the sleeper hits of BBC One
in 2020 is the brilliant retelling of the legend of Dracula which was equal parts seductive and
horrifying. And this billboard ad sure lives up to the show’s cleverly sinister nature.
By day, you see curiously-positioned wooden stakes dripping in blood—a nod to the weapon that could
supposedly kill Dracula. But when night falls, watch as the weapons cast a terrifying shadow
of Dracula himself! Because as we all know, he only operates under the cloak of darkness.
Dracula: Try and stay calm, you’re doing very well.
So, which of these ad ideas did you wish you came up with yourself?
Let us know in the comments section below! Take home any of our exclusive gear by browsing
our merch shelf or clicking the link in the video description! And while you’re at it, take
our quiz to find out how you can earn extra cash online doing what you do best! Awesome, right!
Need a shot of inspiration? Perhaps these wonders of nature will do the trick!
Check out our roundup of the 12 Extremely Rare Things in This Universe You Need To See!
‘Til then, stay creative, fact-natics! And see you in the next video!