The Durden FAMOUS TEAM wanted to come out of the gate running in 2013! How could we get some attention on our digital billboards with self-promotional ads? We made it our personal goal to create content that would make drivers cringe, laugh, cry, sigh and give tribute.
Behold the Durden Outdoor homage to the Chinese YEAR OF THE SNAKE, 2013. The basis was to use a TEASER and ANSWER ad in a creative way to show how well our medium works with a unique message. “What if we used a super tight crop of a snake’s face so the driver could get eerily intimate with the graphic,” says Bill Durden Creative Director at Durden Outdoor Displays, Inc. “Sometimes you have to show potential clients how strong a simple message can be on a billboard.”
The teaser self promo simply said “2013 – THE YEAR OF THE SNAKE” with a huge bright green python’s face on the board. The ad played for almost three weeks on the entire DURDEN DIGITAL NETWORK in Dothan, Enterprise, Eufaula, and Ozark, Alabama.
The verdict? Billboards definitely work! The traffic department at our company was filled with calls and emails about the “snake ad” playing on our Digital Network. We had originally planned on playing the teaser for a full 4 weeks. However, because of so many audience inquiries, we decided to go ahead and release the answer one week earlier.
Today, we released the answer to the teaser which had an over lay on top of the snakes face saying “FAMOUS RULE #2 – Simple Ads Work”.
Fact: Uncluttered billboards achieve greater success. We preach this over and over at Durden Outdoor Displays, Inc. because we know that it will work for any company. Your audience is zipping by at 45+ miles per hour and they only have about 6 seconds to notice, become engaged and process you message. Don’t make it difficult to reach your consumer by cramming your billboard with too much content.
Whitaker Marketing came to Durden Outdoor with the idea of collaborating to promote their client Espy, Metcalf & Espy, P.C. Known as Dothan’s bankruptcy lawyers, EMEPC, have more than 60 years combined in bankruptcy law, and have helped thousands of individuals and families escape or decrease crushing debt burdens.
The design process of Espy, Metcalf & Espy began with several creative meetings researching the topic, defining the direction, and strategizing about the possibilities. This is when the “Ball & Chain” concept emerged from our creative minds and leapt onto the dry erase board.
The expression “ball and chain” refers back to the actual ball and chain, which was a heavy metal ball secured to a prisoner’s leg by means of a chain and manacle. The ball and chain was in use in both Britain and the USA by the early 19th century (and possibly much earlier.) The earliest citation in print is from The Times, January 1819. Now, it is used as a slang term for a burden that you must carry around with you. In our design the “Ball and Chain” is a metaphor for how debt can be a burden and weigh you down.
With the design sketched out, Durden’s Creative department began designing and revising the billboard. After a few ideas were mapped out the initial design was presented to the client for review. Once the concept was given a go-ahead the 3D idea developed while meeting with Durden’s production department. Excitement had sprung with this new 3D idea between all three entities!
The artwork was approved and the agency decided to creatively spend their client’s ad budget on (1) stationary bulletin strategically located on Main Street in Dothan, Alabama [across from Wiregrass Church.] To add frequency and coverage to this “MY DEBT” ad campaign, they also included a digital rotary showing on our Durden Digital Network.
The team at Durden then began engineering and building the 20 foot 3D Chain and Cuff to fit on the billboard. You can see how we made it by clicking HERE. Shortly after it was installed Sharon Whitaker, President of Whitaker Marketing, notified us that the client had already received a lot of positive feed back from their 3D billboard.
Creating the RIGHT IDEA for the RIGHT CLIENT equals “FAMOUS” every time. Durden Outdoor was beyond ecstatic about developing and producing this billboard campaign for Whitaker Marketing and Espy, Metcalf & Espy, P.C.’s Bankruptcy Practice. To find out how to add a 3D PROP BILLBOARD to your next marketing campaign, contact one of the FAMOUS MAKERS at DURDEN OUTDOOR today at sales@durdenoutdoor.com.