A friend recently referred to billboards as “The SPAM of the highway.” While his focus is Internet Marketing, he makes a valid point. The once vital advertising media has taken a hit in recent years. Many of us remember the Burma Shave signs that vaulted the roadside sign/billboard to stardom. They were simple, imaginative, and finished strong with a logo sign at the end.
Billboards have evolved and increased in size since then. Their popularity has fluctuated as the creativity of the designers has grown. Those designers began to improve their graphics and found new and interesting ways to make the message jump from the sign (sometimes literally). Today, that same creativity has become a hindrance rather than a help.
I still notice billboards because I am an fan of great advertising and I look for it wherever I go. But, lately, I’ve noticed fewer and fewer billboards worthy of my attention. There are more and more signs populating the highways and roads, but they are wasting the money spent to produce them and to pay for the advertising they present. Here are the reasons why I believe billboards suck!
NOTE: I haven’t given credit to the good or the bad producers as I can’t be sure is the fault/credit should be given to the designer, the advertiser, or a specific agency.
1) Too Much Text:
As a driver, I don’t have enough time to read all the text on this billboard. It looks to be an important cause, but how do you know? Maybe every day I drive by, I can read another couple words and by the end of the week, I’ll have the idea. Copywriters are taught, “No more than seven words on a billboard. And, phone numbers are useless.” Even though most of us have cell phones with us all the time, we still don’t have the time to catch a phone number and dial it as we drive by the billboard.
As speed limits increase, the need for fewer words on a billboard becomes more relevant. At 70 miles per hour, I only have a couple of seconds to read the message. The crying child in the above billboard would catch my attention because I’m a single dad, but I wouldn’t have a clue why I should care without driving by many times.
Here’s a great example of an eye-catching image punctuated using a few focused words.
2) Too Many Graphics:
In the newspaper or online, this may be a great ad for hamburgers. But, as a billboard it contains too many graphics. I don’t have time while driving to decide on which part I want to focus. The burger catches my eye, but I don’t have time to read the logo, to see who voted the burger “best in Texas,” to see that they have a $1 breakfast menu, or to know their Web site. If I’m hungry while I’m on the road, I’d like to see a big burger, a smaller logo so I know where to get it, and the exit I need to watch for to get to the restaurant.
In contrast, here’s an example of a great billboard. The graphic is attention-grabbing and the information is short, simple, and to the point!
3) Difficult to read:
While I do understand the reasoning for putting the text OVER the photo on this billboard, I’ve seen others where the text covers the picture and the message gets lost. The image and the text should work in tandem. But, when the text is over the image, I find myself trying to see the graphic and not reading the message (or vice versa). I get confused and stop caring.
4) They’re Boring:
A billboard, like all advertising, represents your business. You should always put your best foot forward. Dress-up a little! I understand budgets are tight, but why waste the money when a quality piece of advertising will be more effective than a boring one. Bad advertising can be bad for business. If you insist on using billboards, have some fun, spend a little more money, and make the sign memorable. People will pay attention and they’ll talk about it with others – Advertising Bonus!
Here are few fun, attention grabbing, conversation-worthy billboards.
I do understand the reasoning of including billboards in an advertising budget. For some, “We always have.” or “Well, we paid for it’s production.” or “We always have.” The last is the worst reason, by the way. Advertising is changing. Oddly, new/additional billboards are still being erected. Sadly, though, most of them are ignored.
A billboard sales representative may say, “The passengers in the cars are a bonus. It’s not just the drivers who are looking at your advertising.” Wrong! If you look at the passengers in the cars around you, you’ll find many of them are texting, talking on their phone, checking their emails, etc. The only time they look is when the sign is “too cool” to pass.
I commend the diligence of the ad execs in the outdoor advertising industry. They seem to sell the signs in a way that business owners understand. And, I’ve learned a sales rep can make statistics say whatever they want them to say. One Web site stated 70% of car passengers read billboards. Is that 70% of all passengers or 70% of those who don’t have cell phones? Billboards, in general, are like SPAM. They’re everywhere, ignored, and not always worth the effort of our interaction.
If billboards aren’t going away anytime soon, I challenge the industry to improve the message they purvey. Make them worth my time and my attention whether I’m driving or a passenger.
That’s my opinion, what’s yours?
