10 brilliant billboard ads that you need to see

Traffic stopping billboard ads 2022 round-up

Billboard ads are a form of outdoor advertising that has been around for over a 100 years. To this day, advertising on billboards remains one of the most popular ways to build brand awareness and promote your business. Billboard ads are so successful because they reach huge audiences faster and are more cost-effective than most other marketing channels. According to a survey, 98% of people see billboard ads every week and it costs 80% less than TV. What’s more, as technology and media evolve rapidly, billboard ads are becoming more diverse and thus become the biggest driver of web traffic for young people.

Below we have rounded up the most outstanding billboard ads in 2022. We hope they will inspire you to create your next creative billboard campaigns.

1. Interactive billboard ads prompts people to pick healthy snacks

There is nothing more engaging than an interactive billboard. 😍

KIND launched a campaign called “Grab and Go” with an interactive billboard outside London’s King’s Cross station, a mecca for Harry Potter fans. The campaign simply encouraged British citizens to eat the recommended amount of fruits and, vegetables, as well as nuts – which are not often recognized for their nutritional value.

The billboard was four meters long and three meters high, with more than 500 varieties of freshly picked fruits and KIND cereal bars hanging from the “tree”. The vibrant green billboard simulates an orchard – where passersby and commuters could grab a nutritious snack for free. 🥗

We think the billboard cleverly communicated that nuts and vegetables are on par in terms of nutritional value. At the same time, it effectively way encouraged Londoners to be mindful of healthy eating. 💚

2. Adidas frames the impossible with CGI 3D billboard ads

To celebrate Lionel Messi winning the FIFA World Cup and fulfilling his dream, Adidas has developed a new creative in a matter of days. The 3D billboard uses the “world’s largest photo frame” – the Dubai Frame. The UAE’s Dubai Frame is an iconic structure that ‘frames’ impressive views of Old and New Dubai. 🎉

The billboard shows five different images of Lionel Messi early in his career, celebrating his first World Cup title. Adidas’ slogan, “Nothing is impossible”, is the only text – simple but effective. The 3D billboard brings the moment to life with different visuals from different angles. 🏆

Only, this groundbreaking billboard isn’t real – it’s a CGI piece that Adidas commissioned Vertex CGI to create. Regardless, lovers of the game and marketers alike are excited to see new technology to distribute high-quality content and support their players in the best possible way.

We think Adidas has opened new doors in advertising and we can’t wait to see what more innovative campaigns are in store in the future. 🤩

3. What the Truck? A stuck truck disrupts the Sydney CBD

Disruptive marketing is turning the rules upside down – literally 🙃

To launch a new crisp lager, Furphy and their creative agency, Thinkerbell, created an unbelievable installation of a very stuck, upright, beer truck in a Sydney CBD alley. 🚚

The spectacle kicked off the activation of Furphy Crisp Lager’s “What the Truck” campaign. The activation was supported by OOH, radio, social and digital activity as well as a retail promotion. And what a way to get people talking! Not only did the stuck truck physically cut off access to the rear of the building, but it also ignited conversation online and in the pub.

They were also awarded a gold medal for the humorous campaign at the 2022 International Awards in London.🥇

We think Furphy’s activation campaign is clever and funny. The “What the Truck” billboard made people smile. 💚

Read more: https://buff.ly/3Hqgg9G

Furphy Crisp Lager’s “What the Truck” billboard campaign

4. Sun rays reveal Corona’s natural billboard ads

We love Corona’s unique OOH billboard used to celebrate its “100% Natural” campaign 💚.

The campaign uses shadows created at sunset to reveal the brand’s bottle shape and a surprise message on the billboard.

What a clever way to communicate the campaign’s message that Corona is made by nature ☀️.

Find out more 👉🏼 https://t.co/0ReSYWLCTy

Corona’s 100% Natural billboard campaign

5. Amazon Books’ campaign brings readers’ imagination to life

Do you have a passion for reading? 📚

Then you will love Amazon Books’ global brand campaign showing how the magic of reading sparks the imagination. 🦄

“That Reading Feeling Awaits” was created in partnership with Droga5 into an omnichannel campaign. The campaign includes a beautifully-shot mixed-media video, multiple out-of-home (OOH) posters, and an emoji-laden 3D billboard.

The campaign’s video shows how five people’s magical ideas come to life when immersed in a novel. We love how the presentation of plots spans a variety of genres depicted by different animators.

We think Amazon’s campaign creatively showcases the magic of reading and hope that it will inject the love and excitement back into books. 💚

6. Clever billboard ads to combat malnutrition in the UK

Did you know that about 3 million people in the UK are malnourished? 😵

Dole Sunshine Company has partnered with Bompas & Parr Studio Ltd, a leading specialist in multi-sensory experience design, to raise awareness of this issue. The goal is to promote better food choices for a healthier lifestyle.

The campaign is focused on a range of ‘nutrition inks’ made from fruit and natural ingredients. It includes a video that shows the poster-sized malnutrition labels printed using the ink. The posters are then placed in OOH locations near vending machines and fast food outlets to raise awareness about the nutritional value of food choices. We love the key message of the posters which clearly states that the ink used to print them contains more vitamins than their choice of junk food. 🍍🍇

As part of the campaign, Dole Sunshine also donated products to FareShare, the UK’s largest charity fighting food waste and hunger.

We think this campaign is an innovative way to reflect on the issue of malnutrition and effectively encourage consumers to make healthier food choices. This one is sure to go viral 💚

7. Nike’s first-ever 3D billboard stuns in lead up to Air Max Day

We love how Nike has taken over a huge billboard in Tokyo’s Shinjuku area for its first-ever 3D activation in the lead-up to Air Max Day 👀.

The campaign features the instantly recognizable orange Nike sneaker box, which bursts open to reveal numerous Air Max styles in multiple colorways while hinting at the inspiration behind each shoe. Such a clever way to tell the brand story 💚.

But what will the shoe giant do for this year’s 35th anniversary of Air Max Day?

Find out the story here 👉🏼 https://buff.ly/36p2TXt

Nike debuts 3D OOH campaign in Shinjuku for Air Max Day

8. Create your dream virtual sandwich on Subway’s 3D billboard

Subway is taking 3D billboards to the next level by launching an interactive billboard! 🎉

Subway partnered with Above+Beyond to launch this interactive 3D billboard that allows passersby to build a virtual sandwich of their dreams whilst seeing their creations come to life on the billboard.

To enhance this experience even further, Subway ambassadors hid in the crowd and surprised the person who created the sandwich with the real thing – bringing their vision to life. 🪄

Even though we’ve seen a lot of great 3D billboards, creating a fully interactive screen was a first attempt in marketing – which is why we added it to our top marketing campaign list. Subway’s “Go Big, Go Subway” campaign successfully demonstrates their commitment to always putting the customer first and engages their fans in a completely new way.

We love this innovative campaign, and it’s always exciting to see how brands use new technology and groundbreaking ways to engage with audiences.💚

9. McDonald’s shows environmental awareness in an ingenious way

We love that McDonald’s Norway has taken ownership of its littering by showcasing the ugly side of its packaging 💚.

In a new advertising campaign developed by NORD DDB, with the message “Take away your takeaway”, the restaurant chain encourages all McDonald’s lovers to help them reduce littering. Photos of “iconic trash” from McDonald’s lying on the ground on the streets of Oslo are shown in print, social media, OOH displays and McDonald’s trays to reach as many customers as possible.

Cleverly trash cans have been placed next to OOH displays so that the iconic McDonald’s arches can be used as a trash guide. The campaign also includes a commercial shown on TV and online that takes inspiration from a moment in Academy Award-winning film American Beauty, where a plastic bag blows in the wind ♻️.

In addition, McDonald’s Norway’s instagram account features posts calling for a reduction in litter and has now amassed 15.5k followers. They are also encouraging people to share their daily findings of McDonald’s packaging waste on Instagram using the hashtag “#McTrash”, which currently has 1.7k posts.

10. Minions are blown away in Sky’s outdoor ads

We love how Sky TV Broadband communicates ‘speed’ so clearly with their Minions out-of-home campaign 💚.

To showcase the speed of its new Gigafast product, Minions are seen clinging to various structures including billboards and bus stations. Literally being blown away by Gigafast’s amazing internet speed! 💨

Sky Broadband’s partnership with Minions has lasted for nine years, and the reach and engagement of the Minions series has enabled them to create outstanding work across all media channels. In this campaign, Sky Boardband is bringing more creativity beyond traditional outdoor and television, and taking the benefits of the animation partnership to a new level. The campaign has been retweeted and buzzed about on numerous marketing platforms since its launch. Among them, a post by Famous Campaigns on LinkedIn received 3.7k interactions.

We love how this campaign incorporates elements of the metaverse in a fun and creative way to reveal Sky’s fastest broadband. 🤩