When it comes to outdoor advertising, billboards are one of the most effective options available. Not only are billboards large enough to grab people’s attention, but they also gain maximum exposure by making use of busy roads and motorways. They are also versatile, giving the designer room to customise the advertising message through extensions and embellishments.

When it comes to designing a high impact, cost effective billboard display, here are a few things to keep in mind:

Showcase the product – the most important thing to consider when designing a billboard is the product or service you are trying to sell. Remember that billboards are usually only viewed for a few seconds so the product should be immediately obvious to a viewer. A clear example of this is the Soho billboard below:

Know your audience – Know the target audience and what kind of message you are trying to send them. Knowing your audience will give you the idea of what kind of design to aim for. Instead of detailing the product details and characteristics, the Cadbury chocolate ad below appeals to its target demographic (in this case children) through the use of bright colours and interesting designs:

Avoid too much text – Unlike TV advertisements, you don’t have the luxury of being able to describe the features and benefits of your product at length. A billboard must relay the message in a few seconds. You should always remember that your text should be easy to read, catchy and short. Try limiting text to details like the company name, contact information, or slogan. Sometimes (like in the case of the billboard below) the message is so clear that no text is needed at all.

Use existing infrastructure – creative billboards take advantage of existing infrastructure to become part of the urban landscape. By using existing infrastructure you extend the message beyond the borders of the sign and increase the impact of your billboard. Two fantastic example of how billboards can be incorporated into the surrounding infrastructure are included below:

Think outside the box (or sign) – who says your advertisement has to stay between the lines? You may wish to design your billboard to span several frames, or even into the street below. Here are a few prime examples of billboard designers that couldn’t draw within the lines.

Use light and shadows – Whether it’s natural or artificial, light can be used in a variety of ways to increase the impact of your billboard advertisement. Consider how your billboard will be viewed at various times of the day and night. How will this affect the message being portrayed? Below are a few creative examples of how light and shadows can be used to improve the effectiveness of your billboard advertisement.

Create illusions – when considered carefully, the design and placement of a billboard can create interesting illusions that will grab your viewer’s attention. Below is one brilliant example of a billboard that uses illusions to create a high impact and effective advertisement.

Don’t be flat – A flat billboard is the standard, but it doesn’t have to be the norm. You can go 3D, have moving parts, have people interacting with it and even have your billboard animate. These eye-catching and exciting advertisements create a memorable impression that will stick in the viewer’s mind.

You don’t have to be a multibillion dollar company to achieve high impact billboard advertising. Signman Says are the number one supplier of affordable outdoor billboard displays in Brisbane. They use the latest technology and materials to produce striking vinyl skins and three-dimensional images that will get you the exposure you’re after. Their trained and qualified staff are able to create almost anything you can think of.

Get creative with your billboard advertisement displays and contact Signman Says today.