Outdoor advertising in the form of posters and billboards--one of the oldest forms of advertising that exists--is enjoying something of a renaissance, thanks to the technological advancements of the
so-called new media. Digital technology is allowing marketers and their ad agencies to create billboards that can change daily, hourly, or even by the minute--at little cost. The advancements are
prompting some advertisers to spend $300,000 to $500,000 on new digital billboards that often are shared by companies who rotate their ads and divvy up the cost. Out-of-the box thinking also is taking
billboards beyond two-dimensional displays. Bakery retailer Bloom combined creativity and interaction for an award-winning board that featured a 3-D muffin tin with faux giant muffins--one of which
had "fallen" and crushed a car below. Dozens of concerned motorists called the number on a faux "for sale" sign posted on the vehicle to let the owner know the car had been crushed. Billboards also
are incorporating text-messaging codes. An Absolut vodka billboard in Times Square, for example, lets passersby with cell phones text-message the code for a free Lenny Kravitz song download.
advertisement
advertisement
Read the whole story at USA Today »
