Billboard advertisements are designed to catch a person’s attention and create a memorable impression very quickly, leaving the reader thinking about the advertisement after they have driven past it.[1]
That’s why there are no place for boring ads alongside highways. Of course, too creative billboard ads may create another problem, like traffic accidents, but we hope you are viewing this post at home, and not while driving with your laptop on your lap. So, without further ado, here are 40 of the most creative billboard advertisements – enjoy and milk some inspiration!
1. Formula Toothcare: Bite
“Builds strong teeth” (Advertising Agency: Ogilvy & Mather, Jakarta, Indonesia)
2. Avera Health: Smoking Billboard
For two days, drivers who passed a smoking billboard in Sioux Falls, honked and cranked their necks to get a better look at the board everyone was talking about. It showed a woman sitting on a gurney in front of a terrible car crash, with one of the cars actually smoking behind her, that at least for two days, the smoke billowed off the photo into the sky, thanks to a hidden smoke machine behind the board. (Advertising Agency: BVK, USA)
3. Jobsintown.de: The Ass-Kisser Project
“There are better ways to make career.” (Advertising Agency: Scholz & Friends, Hamburg, Germany)
4. Oltimer Restaurants: Tunnel
Special Poster for “Oldtimer”, a big Austrian chain for motorway rest stops. (Advertising Agency: Demner, Merlicek & Bergmann, Vienna, Austria)
5. Calvin Klein Underwear
Advertising School: Chosun University, Gwangju, South Korea
6. The Economist
Advertising Agency: Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO, UK
7. Panasonic Nose Hair Trimmer
Billboards built around actual electric wires and poles to amusingly yet convincingly dramatize the need for the Panasonic nose hair trimmer’s safety cutting system. (Advertising Agency: Saatchi & Saatchi Indonesia)
8. Belt Up
Advertising Agency: unknown
9. Berger: Natural Finish Colors
Advertising Agency: JWT Mumbai, India
10. BIC Razor
Advertising Agency: unknown
11. Playboy: Guys, Pray For Rain
“Guys, pray for rain.” (Advertising Agency: unknown)
12. Mars Chilled: Tongue
Agency: Colenso BBDO, Auckland, New Zealand
13. Cingular
Agency: BBDO, New York.
14. Calgary International Film Festival
Only the best films make it. (Advertising Agency: WAX, Calgary AB, Canada)
15. Eskom: Use Electricity Wisely
“Use electricity wisely.” (Advertising Agency: unknown)
16. Anando Milk – Superhuman Powers
Advertising Agency: McCANN ERICKSON, Mumbai, India
17. Coop’s Paints (Insurance Ad)
Advertising Agency: TM Advertising , USA, Dallas
18. Koleston Naturals: Change
Koleston Naturals is a hair colorant from natural ingredients. (Advertising Agency: Leo Burnett, Beirut, Libanon)
19. CNN: Stories With the Full Background
Advertising Agency: DDB&CO., Istanbul, Turkey
20. Coca-Cola
Refresh on Coca-Cola side of life. (Advertising Agency: MacLaren McCann, Toronto, Canada)
21. XBox, Alan Wake: Coffin Light
Microsoft Canada is looking to scare gamers with a unique campaign created to support the launch of Alan Wake, the highly anticipated psychological action thriller game. (Advertising Agency: MacLaren McCann, Toronto, Canada)
22. The Day After Tommorow
Advertising Agency: Contract, Mumbai, India
23. Road Safety: Bleeding Billboard
“Rain changes everything. Please drive to the conditions.” (Advertising Agency: Colenso BBDO, Auckland, New Zealand)
24. Science World
Vancouver’s Rethink glued 9,000 dazzling glass “diamonds” to a billboard to promote Science World’s Treasure! exhibit, and to dramatize this fact: compared to most other gems, diamonds aren’t all that rare. (Advertising Agency: Rethink, Canada)
25. TV3: Law And Order
Advertising Agency: Colenso BBDO, Auckland, New Zealand
26. Silberman’s Fitness Center
Advertising Agency: unknown
27. Donatos Pizza: Steaming Pizza
Advertising Agency: Engauge, Columbus, USA
28. Zhangbei Fitness
Advertising Agency: Guangdong Advertising, Beijing, China
29. Mammoth: Play Big
Advertising Agency: David&Goliath
30. Kill Bill 2
Advertising Agency: unknown
31. Siemens Mixer
Advertising Agency: unknown
32. Max Factor
Billboard that will change once it rains to give the effect that the mascara is leaking. (Advertising Agency: unknown)
33. Martor Solingen: Extremely Sharp
Advertising Agency: unknown
34. Woodland: Climbing Shoes
“Climbing Shoes” (Advertising Agency: unknown)
35. Powerhouse Gym
Advertising School: Savannah College of Art & Design, Savannah, USA
36. Penline Stationary: Strong Tape
Advertising Agency: Euro RSCG, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
37. Get Organized With Peter Walsh
Advertising Agency: unknown
38. Colorado State Patrol: Billboard Collision
“Tailgating Isn’t Worth It. Give Trucks Room. It’s The Law.” (Advertising Agency: Amélie Company, Denver, Colorado, USA)
39. YMCA: Basketball Billboard
Advertising Agency: TBWA Vancouver, Canada
40. Tylenol
Get back to normal. (Advertising Agency: unknown)
Vía: Demilked