Author Archive for Neal Spencer – Page 6

Billboards Show Escapee Photos

prisoners

 

Billboards are going up all over the Northeast with the photos of the two inmates who escaped from the Clinton Correctional Facility over the weekend.  David Sweat, 34 and Richard Matt, 48, are both convicted murderers and considered armed and dangerous.  The prison is located in New York, close to the Canadian border, and authorities have placed the escapee’s images on 50 billboards all around the state as well as in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania.  A prison employee, accused of supplying tools to the men to aid in their escape, is currently in jail.  The men allegedly used the tools to cut through a steel wall, get into a steam pipe and escape out of a man hole a few blocks from the prison.  Sweat is described as a white male, 5’11”, 165 lbs., with brown hair and green eyes.  Sweat also has tattoos on his left bicep and right fingers.  Matt is also a white male, 6 feet tall with black hair and hazel eyes.  Matt has several tattoos, including the phrase “Mexico Forever” on his back, a heart on his chest and left shoulder, as well as a Marine Corps insignia on his right shoulder.  Anyone with information is asked to call the New York State Police at 1-800-GIVETIP.  So far, the search for the escapees has been confined to the Northeast, no word on whether it will be expanded to include Atlanta and areas in the Southeast.

 

Digital Billboards Fill Information Gaps

severe weather Atlanta billboard

Although digital billboards only account for about 5,500 of the nearly 400,000 billboards nationwide, the ability to change the message on them instantly is increasing their importance.  The benefits of digital billboard technology have already been realized and put to use here in Georgia. Last year, digital billboards were used to alert motorists to the ice storms that were about to hit around Atlanta.   Now, several other states are starting to take advantage of the immediate messaging that digital billboards can provide.  Officials in Florida and Oklahoma are also using the digital billboards there for the same purposes.

The director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, Brian Koon, says the billboards fit right into the department’s plan of action. “One of the big things we do in emergency management is to try to get life saving information to people as quickly as possible so that they can take appropriate action.”  He goes on to say, “If people on the interstate are driving 70 miles an hour, they may not even know what city or county they are in, there’s an information gap.  The electronic billboards fill this gap.”  The Outdoor Advertising Association of America (OAAA) wants to ensure that officials in the 46 states that have digital billboards put them to good use in emergency situations.

Wanna Eat a Billboard?

edible billboardIf you’ve ever seen a billboard advertising a delicious treat and wished you could just pluck it right off of the billboard and pop it into your mouth, your dreams may just be one step closer to being a reality!

Billboards that have samples of cake, beer and Coke already exist and the idea seems to be catching on.

The billboard above was for Carlsberg Beer in in East London.  Simple message, but you can see from the line that the concept of handing out samples garnered quite a bit of attention.  The billboard was supervised…I.D’s were checked before the samples were given out.

Also in Britian, a bakery paired up with a sugar artist to create a billboard made of cake.  More than 13,000 pieces of cake were used to spell out “Life is better with Cake.”  The pieces were handed out to passersby.

Here in the U.S., the concept was used just this year at the NCAA Final Four Tournament in Indianapolis.  Coca-Cola built a 4,500 foot straw and used it to spell out “Taste It” on a billboard for Coke Zero near the tournament venue. There were 6 dispensers attached to the billboard allowing for samples of Coke Zero to be distributed.

Because marketers everywhere are using the hands on experience more and more for product advertising, we can hope that the concept will make it’s way to Atlanta billboards very soon!

Have You Seen This Fugitive?

sex trafficker billboards

The FBI is working with Clear Channel Outdoor to get the word out about a man wanted for trafficking young girls for sex.  Charles Devan Fulton Sr., 39, is wanted in Galveston, Texas for conspiracy to traffic minors for sexual purpose and financial gain.  The billboard above went up today with the hopes of finding Fulton.

Authorities say Fulton, along with Charmell Potts, 32 and Dominique Warner, 23 coerced several young girls into prostitution.  The group then posted pictures of the girls on websites known to be trolled for commercial sex.  While Potts and Warner are in custody in Texas, Fulton is considered a fugitive and a warrant remains outstanding for his arrest.

A reward of up to $5,000 is being offered for information that leads to Fulton’s arrest.  If you have any information on Fulton’s whereabouts, you can call 713-222-8477 and remain anonymous. No word on whether Fulton’s image will be seen on Atlanta billboards or if authorities believe he could be outside of the state of Texas.

Watchdog Group Launches Billboard Campaign

Don't Run-Atlanta billboardsA police watchdog group called the Atlanta Citizen Review Board is behind a new billboard campaign starting today in Atlanta.  The group says it’s an effort to save lives.  They say they are trying to reach not only young black males, but also the general population with their message of “Don’t Run.”

A spokesman for the group says they want people to know that they don’t have to run from or fight with police, no matter what the situation may be.  They say to call them and they will investigate and stand up for citizen rights.

The Atlanta billboards start today citywide, with a concentration on the southwest and east sides of the city.

Google Sees Benefits of Outdoor Advertising

Google buys billboards

 

If your company had a seemingly endless advertising budget, where would you spend it?  Companies like Google who have huge budgets are turning to outdoor advertising more and more.   And they aren’t the only ones…Netflix has also increased spending on billboards and other out of home options. But billboard advertising and other out of home media options can be affordable for any budget.  Spending in these areas has been on the rise, while more traditional advertising formats have hit a plateau or declined.  Companies are recognizing the benefits exclusive to outdoor advertising, including that it is on 24/7 and can’t be turned off or have the channel changed.  It also costs less, while having more of an impact on consumers.

It’s all about strategy and getting your brand out where your consumers are.  The saying, “Location, location, location” isn’t just true for real estate, it’s what makes billboard campaigns successful as well.  Tracking results with a vanity phone number or website used only on the billboard is a great way to gauge the success of your campaign.  Another way to get the most out of a campaign is to use a media buyer, like Billboard Connection.  We have access to all billboards and are not limited to a certain inventory that has to be sold.  If you have questions or want to see what Billboard Connection can do for your business, call 770-391-8528 for a free consultation.

Tiny Billboards Getting Big Attention

Marvel Tiny Billboards

It’s a tiny advertisement, but it’s having a big impact in Australia and beyond.  Mini billboards for Marvel’s latest movie, Ant-Man, have been popping up in several cities including Queensland, Brisbane and Melbourne.  Apparently, Marvel wants to make sure all the ants know about the movie…the billboards are only a few inches tall.  They also have lights, in case the ants are passing during the night.  The campaign is creating buzz not just in Australia, but all over the internet as well.  Reddit is one of the social media sites where the campaign is getting the most attention.  Over the last few weeks, pictures of the billboards have been getting millions of views and creating a discussion that has been mostly positive, which is apparently a rare occurrence for topics on Reddit.  Unfortunately, for anyone wanting to take one home, Marvel is way ahead of any would be thieves.  The billboards are secured to the ground and not easy to take.  The tiny billboards and the movie are also a big topic for Marvel fans in the U.S. as well.  Maybe some of the tiny billboards will make their way to the streets of Atlanta before the movie hits theaters here.

Birds of a Feather Flock Together on Atlanta Billboards

Atlanta Hawks billboard
A very successful Atlanta bird is showing support for its corporate partner in a big way. The Chick-fil-A cows are using Atlanta billboards to congratulate the Atlanta Hawks for their successful season and being the #1 seed in the NBA East. The billboard is just off the Downtown Connector near Turner Field. A spokesman for Chick-fil-A says the billboards are the work of area franchisees banding together to show support from one home team to another. Today is the last game of the regular season…the Hawks are in Chicago to take on the Bulls tonight. They still don’ t know who they will face in the first round of playoffs.

Stones Hint at Tour Via Billboards

Rolling Stones Atlanta Billboard

The answers have finally come!  The Rolling Stones will be bringing their classic sound to Atlanta this summer…the band has announced that they will play Bobby Dodd Stadium on June 9.  Billboards with the Rolling Stones signature lip logo were popping up around the country, fueling speculation of a North American tour announcement.  Although the initial date for that announcement came and went with no news,  the band has released the dates for concerts in select cities around the U.S..  The billboards have been seen in several major cities, including Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Orlando and Minneapolis.   In addition to the band’s infamous logo, the billboards feature lyric exerpts from some of the band’s hits. The Rolling Stones launched a similar campaign to announce their last tour stops in 2013.  Tickets go on sale for the Atlanta venue on April 13 at 10 am through Ticketmaster.

March Madness Goes Digital

It’s March, and generally that means one thing…Madness for college basketball!  But this year, if you can’t watch your favorite team on TV, you may see how they are doing on your way home.  Lamar Advertising is posting real time scores on digital billboards in each team’s home area.  They are also running a twitter campaign at #BillboardBrackets and posting tweets in real time.  The billboard and Twitter campaign is a tournament of sorts in it’s own right…as teams are eliminated, so are the markets they came from, so at the end, only one market will remain.  It’s a cool way for the indoor madness to spread outdoor.  The tournament continues until April 6, with the championship game being played in Indianapolis.

March Madness billboards