Natural Inspiration for Billboard Creative

This week’s eclipse gave brands an opportunity to capitalize on nature with themed advertisements. But it doesn’t need to be a once-every-few-years natural occurrence in order to serve as inspiration for marketers.

Something as simple as the day’s weather conditions can be utilized in campaigns such as Paramount Pictures’ promotion of the “Baywatch” movie. As reported by Media Life Magazine, Paramount Pictures ran a digital billboard campaign with Lamar Advertising that used current weather conditions to automatically update their ads.

If it was snowing, the ad would read, “Snow sucks. Summer is coming.” And if it was icy or temperatures were below zero, the ad would update to, “Frost bites. Summer is coming.” These small adjustments helped the ads remain “relevant and interesting”.

This campaign was also unique in the choice of markets in which to run. Rather than the top 10 DMAs, the 16 coldest U.S. markets were chosen. “This allows for the creative relevant messaging to really speak to the audience in a unique way when they’re longing for warm weather,” says Ian Dallimore, Lamar Advertising’s director of digital strategy and innovation.

With only a month left of summer, it’s time for marketers to consider how interactive and relevant messaging can boost the effectiveness of their campaigns.