Billboards That Sport Inventiveness

Americans spend over $30 billion on sports related apparel each year. At the wholesale level, the sporting goods industry, which includes Nike and Adidas, is worth over $70 billion. Nike is number one on the list, with over $27 billion with Adidas with Adidas number two at almost $20 billion.

 With money like that, Nike and Adidas can afford a fancy billboard. Getting one that’s worth the investment is another matter. However in both the billboards we feature here, the companies clearly hit the jackpot.

In this unconventional Toronto billboard, wouldn’t you know it, a man appears to be pulling at the tugboat! Ahh… but hold on a second, the tugboat is actually the one doing the pulling. Andddd congratulations you’ve just captured the attention of that passerby!

 The tagline “Ready for your :45” refers to the three quarters of an hour that a hockey player spends on the ice during a game. The message is clear, train with Nike and you’ll be ready for your next hockey game, to say nothing of pulling the next passing tugboat.

 Adidas, Supporting Your Fun

 Not to be left behind, Adidas came up with an ad for one of it’s major markets … soccer.This 60-meter tall Adidas billboard shows famed soccer goalie Petr Cech holding up the world-famous Prater ferris wheel in Vienna. The ad went up in time for the 2008 EuroCup tournament. By positioning the cutout directly in front of the ferris wheel, the creators show the truth of the adage that location is everything.

 

Why They Work

 Both billboards are witty and appeal to local interests. From a design point of view, each breaks through the fourth wall, outside the frame of the traditional billboard. This automatically gets the attention of even the most jaded commuter or pedestrian.

 Each ad repurposes standard elements in a facetious, entertaining way. People love to laugh! Each seems to have movement, even if it’s just in the viewer’s imagination. The Nike guy really seems to be pulling that tug. You get the definite impression that the ferris wheel is supported by the soccer player.

 The unexpected gets attention, the purpose of all marketing.

 The Takeaway

 These two companies have megabucks to spend, much more so than the average marketer. But the elements they use to create imaginative billboards that get people’s attention are available to everyone with audacity, imagination and a really creative design firm.

 Nike’s example makes use of local enthusiasm, in this case ice hockey, as the axis of interest for the ad. Making it community related adds a personal note that appeals to residents’ hometown allegiances. That makes branding and company recognition easier and sales more probable.

 The Adidas board clearly shows that using geographical elements makes sense. You can create one-of-kind, compelling billboards at a fraction of the cost it would take to recreate the background. In addition the element of surprise is jaw-dropping for viewers. Timing distinctive billboards is also important. This one appeared during a soccer playoff that had already aroused considerable interest in the region.

 

Both of them make a ridiculous statement about conditioning and strength that brings smiles of recognition from viewers. The overall message also supports each company’s promise of fitness, in a stand out, memorable way.