Step Up Your Game with These Out-of-the-Box Billboard Ad Campaigns 🎇🔍
Experiencing a strong, involuntary reaction: Lynx's innovative scent-releasing billboard triggers a bodily flinch.
Billboards aren't just large, static billboards anymore—these days, they're anything but conventional. Take Lynx's daring new multi-sensory scratch-and-sniff campaign as a prime example. It's not your usual billboard, that's for sure.
Grabbing Attention Like a Magnet for Metal FilingsThe best billboard ads flame the fires of creativity by challenging what we think we know about traditional outdoor advertising, whether it's through clever copy, unique visuals, or, in Lynx's case, a provocative design that'll make you do a double-take.
LOLA MullenLowe, the creative minds behind Lynx's audacious venture, rolled out an offer both ballsy and bewildering. At first glance, it's just a black-and-white pic of an underwear model reminiscent of classic Calvin Klein campaigns. But those daring enough to get handsy will find a peculiar invitation to scratch the model's nether regions—talk about a strange greeting!
The billboard is coated with microencapsulated fragrance beads. Upon taking a whiff, you'll catch a whiff of Lynx's latest Lower Body Spray. It's a one-of-a-kind sensory experience that sure to make passersby giggle and casual observers do a double-take. So much for innocuous!
Scratch That Itch for Brilliant BrandingWhile the initial thought of this concept makes my skin crawl, the takeaway is that Lynx's campaign is a perfect marriage of tomboyish humor and interactive playfulness that maintains an edge suitable for the brand. The cheeky appropriation of designer advertising aesthetics is a devilishly clever subversion that's sure to stick in the minds of passersby for quite some time.
Looking for more daring ad examples? Check out KFC's chaotic vandalized billboard stunt, or take a gander at Audi's ingenious billboards.
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Inspiring Advertising Insights 🌞
- Gymshark's Shopping Adventure: Gymshark announced a billboard campaign where exclusive clothing items were pinned to the billboard, inviting people to essentially 'shoplift' them. Once items were snatched, a promotional message was revealed, offering discounts. This unique campaign sparked conversations and demonstrated the power of interactive billboard advertising.[1]
- Surreal Cereal: In an ironic approach, Surreal created badly-designed billboards complete with typos, primitive design, and WordArt. Despite appearing like attention-grabbers for all the wrong reasons, the campaign successfully infused the brand with a refreshing personality.[1]
- Sacha Baron Cohen's "Who is America?": In Brussels, an agency constructed gritty, breezeblock walls surrounded by razor wire in front of Mexican restaurants. These structures served as billboards, creating a powerful visual impact and showcasing the show's provocative nature.[1]
- KFC's Chaotic "Vandalised" Billboard Campaign: KFC created a series of billboards that seemed 'vandalised,' incorporating elements of street art into their advertising strategy. This unconventional approach caught attention by visually stunning and disrupting viewers.[2]
- Audi's Ingenious Billboards: Audi has a knack for innovative billboard designs, often featuring clever visual illusions or interactive elements to captivate viewers. These campaigns aim to elevate the brand's prestige with creative and memorable advertising.[2]
[1] Lurie, M. (2019, December 16). The history of eye-catching billboards. Canva Design School.
[2] Leon, M. (2020, March 17). Top 10 billboards that took social media by storm. Vistaprint.
- LOLA MullenLowe's provocative design for Lynx's billboard campaign challenges traditional outdoor advertising norms with a unique visual layout and an interactive UX element.
- The billboard utilizes microencapsulated fragrance beads, creating a one-of-a-kind sensory experience that sets it apart from conventional advertising.
- The branding of Lynx's billboard successfully maintains an edge suitable for the brand, with a marriage of tomboyish humor and interactive playfulness.
- Designer advertising aesthetics are cleverly subverted in Lynx's campaign, making a lasting impression on passersby.
- Gymshark's billboard campaign invites people to 'shoplift' exclusive clothing items, demonstrating the power of interactive billboard advertising.
- Surreal's billboard campaign intentionally features poorly designed billboards with typos and primitive design, which infuses the brand with a refreshing personality.
- Audi's billboard designs often consist of clever visual illusions or interactive elements, aiming to elevate the brand's prestige with creative and memorable advertising, inspired by pop-culture and entertainment.
