We have become accustomed to seeing giant digital billboards while cruising down the highways or walking through busy shopping centres. They are generally hard to miss due to the size of the advertisement and the use of imagery, infographics or big, bolded text. 

The norm is to see a business selling a product or promoting a service they are offering. But every now and then, we see a billboard ad that will inspire us. By using dramatic imagery and “change-do” wording, they provoke a feeling in us by using a familiar depiction of fear, pain, dream or change deep within. Here are two of the most inspiring billboard ads.

1. Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MADD)

MADD is a non-profit organisation based in the United States of America committed to preventing underage drinking, ending drunk and drugged driving and supporting victims of these violent crimes. In line with their mission campaign, they release a lot of billboard images. 

The most notable of these is this billboard ad that could really sink home to many of its viewers. Here you will see how they utilise emotive language to drive home the message that a drunk driver’s actions could not only affect them but could also be the reason a family does not make it home. They also pair this with a shock image of the crushed car. This is a very prevalent issue in South Africa and really makes you think about the impact this would have if seen on our roads.

2. The Foundation for a Better Life (TFBL)

TFBL is another non-profit organisation whose goal is to provide inspirational messages to people everywhere to uphold universal values in society for a better life. They run a billboard campaign called Pass it On, where they depict these values by using worldwide known “heroes” of our time.

In this billboard ad, they use heroine Malala Yousafzai, the youngest person to ever win a Nobel Peace Prize. Her conviction for speaking out against the Taliban’s ban on girls’ education, even after getting shot by them, is a great display of courage from which we can gain inspiration in our own lives. The use of her image and the text displayed next to her can’t help but evoke a strong feeling in the gazer.  

Are you looking to create an inspiring billboard ad or ad campaign? We at Face First Media have the knowledge and experience to assist you in all things digital billboard advertising. Contact us here, or learn more about our services.

Billboards became quite the buzz when they first hopped onto the advertising scene. On your way to work or being dropped off at school in the morning, you would pass these massive structures with these giant images and some clever bold text that sparked wonder and were memorable enough to recall them years later. 

Along with all forms of advertising, the billboard game has not stayed stagnant in its attempt to catch the eye of the passing traveller. In the last few years, there have been multiple groundbreaking developments to this out-of-home advertising medium. We will be exploring our top two favourite types of billboard advertising in the modern age.

Digital Billboards

Everything digital (think of your phone, TV or laptop) is quite addictive to the eye. Digital products are hard for us humans to keep our eyes off, as the crisp images and moving pictures are super appealing. They also allow the use of infographics, such as stock markets showing the share price movements.

When creating digital billboards, creativity is whatever you can imagine, obviously within a standard set of practices, i.e. you’re not going to put small unreadable text. In addition, digital billboards are placed in areas of large gatherings instead of quick passing points such as highways. Therefore, they are more suited to shopping malls, train stations and airport terminals.

Three Dimensional Billboards

3D billboards are definitely trending at the moment, especially in countries like the United States of America, China, Japan and South Korea. Recently, the new Game of Thrones House of Dragons made use of this type of billboard to promote the show, which is currently trending. In it, one of the dragons seamlessly comes out of the billboard and blows flames at the people below in a busy Time Square, New York, setting.

The possibilities with 3D are endless. Think of how impactful you could make your advertising. Utilising this advertising method is very expensive and, therefore, currently more appropriate for bigger companies, organisations or governments. As new technology emerges, this medium will hopefully become more accessible to smaller businesses. 

[CTA] Are you looking to put on a billboard advertising campaign? We at Face First Media have the expertise and experience to advise and guide you in your digital billboard advertising needs. Get in touch with us today to start the process!