Before the big game battle on the gridirion, the Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson was unknowingly in a battle of his own… on a billboard tug of war supposedly between his two alma maters.  Last week, a billboard was put up in North Carolina near one of Wilson’s alma mater’s, North Carolina State.  It appeared to be an ad done by the University of Wisconsin, where Wilson did graduate work and also played football…saying they were “proud to call him one of their own.”  His name was also misspelled, apparently intentionally, with Russell having only one “L”.  There is speculation that this was done just to garner more attention, and by all accounts, it did…even prompting someone else to put an ad on a different side of the same billboard, claiming Wilson as N.C. State alum and misspelling “Wizconsin.”  Wilson played for both North Carolina State and the University of Wisconsin. But not everyone believes these schools are responsible for the billboards, some are pointing the finger elsewhere.  For more on this story, click here.

It is no surprise that the trash talking before the Super Bowl has begun…and now Denver is taking it to new heights.  The city is making headlines with some billboards comparing the Broncos to their big game opponent, the Seattle Seahawks.  The Broncos are capitalizing on the comments made by Seahawks player Richard Sherman after the NFC Championship game and the attention that has followed.  To see the billboards, click here.

Are the changing messages on digital billboards more distracting than the stationary billboards?  That was the topic of a new study recently conducted by the Department of Transportation.  The answer: a resounding “No.”  The study surveyed drivers in both Pennsylvania and Virginia and found that although drivers spent a few more milliseconds looking at the digital billboards, it was no where near the amount of time that the DOT considers hazardous.  It was estimated that drivers looked at the signs for around 379 milliseconds.  In order for something to be considered a distraction, the DOT says it has to take a driver’s eyes off the road for about 2,000 milliseconds, which is the equivalent of 2 seconds.    For more information on this study, click here.

The case is 8 months old and going cold.  Both law enforcement and the victim’s family are pinning their hope for new leads on a billboard campaign that is scheduled to start this week.  The family is hoping that the East Atlanta billboard will spread the word about a $25,000 reward that may motivate anyone with information on the May 2013 murder of Patrick Cotrona to come forward.  Cotrona was killed in East Atlanta while walking to a restaurant from his home.  Police say they have exhausted all the leads that have come in since the crime occurred and are hoping that the billboard will give them some new information about the killer.  To read a letter from the victim’s family, click here.

Billboards are no longer just static signs that line the roadways…they have already evolved into the digital realm and are now making a giant leap into being interactive!   British Airways recently made headlines with their billboards near a London airport.  They used custom built technology to show real time flight information as their planes fly over their digital billboard.  Now, rather than seeing this on a billboard, the billboard is coming to you! Also in London, this time at the heavily traveled Euston Station, there is an experimental billboard that sends an angel to your side…standing in a specific spot will trigger an angel to descend from above and stand next to you.  Although you can’t see her yourself, you are on screens around the station that allow others to see her next to you.  Atlanta isn’t seeing this technology just yet, but it is being used here in the United States.  For more details on this and another billboard that is making headlines, click here.

With Coke’s headquarters being here, it’s hard to believe we don’t have these billboards in Atlanta.  In Israel, Coke has added lights to their billboards, making their product personal. It’s part of their “Share a Coke” campaign.  The light panel uses app technology to display consumer names on products when they are nearby.  The idea is really taking off, with more than 100,000 downloads.  For more information and a short video, click here.

It’s happening across the pond, but it would be a wonderful campaign to start here in the United States, especially on billboards right here in Atlanta.  In Sweden, a publication is hiring homeless people to sell their magazine.  Then they have also partnered with an agency to put the resumes of these salespeople on billboards around Stockholm.  The resumes aren’t fancy, they have a picture of the person and their story…how they got into their current situation.  For more details and to see this unique campaign, click here.

Business owners are realizing how beneficial out of home advertising can be for their bottom line.  Outdoor advertising, which includes billboards and mobile technology,  has been seeing an uptick in revenue for the last 14 quarters, according to the Outdoor Advertising Association of America.  The advertisers come from all types of businesses, from phone companies and movies to cars and insurance companies.  For more details on this and the partnerships that are also increasing profits, click here.

There’s a new concept for billboards coming to Atlanta, courtesy of a local hotel.  The W Atlanta is taking out a billboard near their downtown location, not to tell you of their amenities or ask you to stay, but to tell you a story. The hotel has partnered with an artist/filmmaker to create a series of 10 second film clips.  There are 13 clips in all and they will each run for two weeks.  The clips will then be posted online to allow folks to watch the clips all together.  The film is an emotional story meant to inspire…for more details and to watch a clip, click here.

It is probably safe to say that at some point in our lives, we have all done it….looked to the sky to see an airplane and wondered where it is headed or where it came from…maybe even fantasized about being on the plane as it is bound for our imagined destination…a beach, a not often visited hometown, or even a mountain top ski resort.  Well now, British Airways is taking the guesswork out of the sky…they have custom built technology that links their jets to a digital billboard at a London airport and gives real time information on a jet overhead.  To read the full article and see a video, click here.