A Smart Attention Getter

An automobile that can jump a bridge is one smart car. And indeed, the car featured on a billboard on a bridge in Rotterdam, Netherlands is the Brabus Ultimate – a mini sports car manufactured by Smart Automobile in 2007. This tiny vehicle is an unlikely candidate for a sports car, so the company wanted to introduce its new model with a bang.

The Big Jump

Perhaps it’s more accurate to say the company wanted to introduce its car with a jump! They chose a startling billboard design arranged along the side of a counter-balance bridge in downtown Rotterdam. Each time the bridge opened, the car seemed to jump right over the opening from one side to the other. 

The effect was noticed from miles away along the waterway, roads and sidewalks and from the office buildings in the area. The billboard got plenty of attention in the media and the campaign was a major success. Motorists put in orders for more than 2000 of the tiny sports cars before they were even delivered to the dealer lots.

Why a Bridge?

The Brabus is tiny but its selling point is speed and power. The Smart car was never known for either of those features before the Brabus, so the advertising team had their work cut out for them.

The new sports model offers a three-cylinder turbo engine, with 112 PS, which equals 110 HP, and 5,750 rpm. It has peak torque of 150 Nm, which is 111 lb./ft.

These are impressive statistics and the ad company needed a visual that would show the thrust of power the new sporty model that could deliver. The bridge jump did that nicely.

How Did They Do It?

The billboard of the car is secured to the cutting point of the bridge. As the bridge opens, the car moves away from the white background on its far side, so it shows clearly in silhouette outlined against the landscape. This makes it appear that the car is actually jumping through the air.

It was a finalist in the category of Best Use of Medium award in the New York Festivals International Advertising contest in 2008.

 
Advantages of No Words

The Brabus got all that attention without a single word as part of the billboard. There can be a problem using motion in a billboard design because it makes it hard to passersby to read what it says.

The designers took care of that handily by simply eliminating the text. The jump said it all.