Classic billboard ads hold many great lessons for marketers

Believe it or not, there was a time when a good ad – and the idea behind it – was talked about as much as how well United was doing, the latest hit record, or who was on last night’s Top of the Pops.

Some of my favorites? “Probably the best lager in the world,” “Refreshes the parts other beers cannot reach,” “Have a break,” “Reassuringly expensive,” “The Cream of Manchester,” and “I bet he drinks Carling Black Label”.

All of these – and I now realize there are a lot of beer ads in there – are classics that worked well and were equally effective and impressive in print and on poster sites. There are loads more I could reference.

48-sheet wonder

So why don’t we see many great billboard ads on our streets anymore? The 48-sheet poster used to be a work of art: creative, humorous, thought-provoking, inspirational, and memorable. And as a result, it was powerful. The good posters were talked about. So were the bad ones.

A 48-sheet billboard was the chance to express a brand’s character and values. And win an award. Creatives used to fight for the brief. Do they still?

If you’ve no idea what I’m yapping on about, check out the numerous posters created for The Economist back in the late 80s/90s. And there are plenty more examples of award-winning inspirational thinking. Just flick through some old D&AD design and advertising annuals or browse the archive online for details.

I must pass by at least 12 poster sites every day close to where I live. I’ve walked past them for the last twenty-odd years on the way to the station – and (not so) gradually I’ve definitely seen a drop in the quality of thought on show.

There are probably all sorts of budgetary and media planning reasons for this decline, but the demise of the billboard can also be taken as a barometer for the marketing industry in general.

Reading this, you might think: ‘… but I don’t work in advertising’. That’s not the point. Nor do I.

Today we work in digital, social, shopper, experiential, etc. The business of creating effective messaging is now wider than it’s ever been. But it’s all communication. Whatever you call it and whatever discipline you work in, the old principle of creating a single strong thought (let’s call it an idea) remains essential to producing great, memorable creative work that gets noticed and earns results. And awards.

This principle is especially relevant in experiential marketing. Experiences, like billboards, need to convey a strong, clear message that resonates deeply and quickly with the audience. The simplicity of a core key message wins every time, whether it’s through an activation, a live event, or a pop-up installation.

In experiential marketing, just as with a billboard, there’s no hiding place for weak ideas. A memorable experience requires a strong, simple idea at its heart to captivate the audience and create lasting impressions.

Apply lesson

Crack your idea as if it’s a 48 sheet, and nine times out of ten it will work across any marketing discipline. Whether that’s a poster site, a press ad, a digital banner, or an event stand – the simplicity of a core key message wins every time. There really is no excuse for a weak thought or an ineffectual execution.

I’m not the only old dog barking on about this. Check out Hugh Todd & Dan Dawson’s Podcast and website, Behind the Billboard. And while you’re at it, Dave Dye’s Stuff From The Loft. Both are truly inspirational.

If you’re a creative reading this, keep asking for the best possible brief. Keep demanding more from your strategists and planners. Keep delaying the client meetings until you have a winning idea. And keep on believing in that one single strong creative thought.

Because that’s what will get you noticed, win you awards, put tonight’s dinner on the table, and if you’re lucky, also get you and your work talked about. Who knows… it might even get talked about as much as how well United are doing.