6 RULES FOR
AN EFFECTIVE
BILLBOARD
#1
LESS IS MORE IN OUTDOOR
We started with this one for a reason - it is the most important! Billboard advertising is vastly different from other print media, however driving around town, it's easy to tell who is and isn't aware of this. A good rule of thumb here is 6 words or less.
#3
AVOID REPETITION
Use every inch of your space wisely. If you are using words to explain your visual, you are wasting words and space. Your imagery should relate to the product or service, be attractive aka aesthetically pleasing, call the viewer to action, and be memorable.
#2
SHOW IT, DON'T SAY IT
We've all heard that a picture is worth a thousand words. This is the time to show your product or service. A photo of a mouth watering, juicy burger is much more memorable and eye catching than my description above. This is your chance to show what makes your product or service special! Limit the ad to 1 single large image.
#4
LOGO SIZE
Logo size can be a balancing act. Too large, and it becomes awkward, and distracts from the message. Too small, and it is a clever, impactful ad for an anonymous business. You want your logo large enough to be noticed, but not so large that it overwhelms your message. 1/8 the size of the board size is the smallest the logo should be.
#5
KEEP IT SIMPLE
A billboard is a quick read. Most of the time your customer is in a vehicle and has a limited viewing window. An effective ad will demand to be seen, and pleasing to the eye. Keep your fonts clean and with even thickness. Adequate space between letters, words and lines improves visibility from a distance. High color contrasting is the key to good readability.
#6
DO THE 'ARM'S LENGTH' TEST
So you have followed rules #1 - #5 and have designed a fantastic billboard ad. It's visually pleasing with one image, simple, clean bold font, has contrasting colors, and a call to action. But does that make it effective? This leads us to rule #6. Stand 10 feet from your monitor to see if your ad still has the same 'wow' factor as sitting at your desk. If you answered 'yes', congratulations. Now let's get that ad up with Ads Up!
let ads up advertising create your effective ad
Ads Up Advertising has a design studio that is experienced at creating attention-grabbing, effective outdoor advertising that gets results.
​
If you see the value in billboard advertising, but don't have the ability to put together your own creative, we would be happy to assist!