Rate This Ad allows a billboard designer to rate a random piece of billboard artwork using the following scale: 1 (not good), 2 (below average), 3 (average), 4 (very good), 5 (great). Then the designer talks about what they may have done differently for outdoor advertising. This week’s rating is provided by Greg Callaham (www.gregcallaham.com) who has over 30 years of experience in outdoor advertising design. Insider uses and endorses Callaham’s services.

University of Tennessee Chattanooga

Rating: 3 (average)

• The ad pictured here for a local college uses a large photo of a student doing science to attract the eye.
• The headline offers good contrast with the background, but the second line seems a bit small since it explains the photo.
• The school logo is smaller than the logo for the specialized program, almost making it seem like Future Focused is the advertiser when it is not. Branding standards may have determined logo sizing.
• This ad earns a 3 (average).

As always, I do not know the details of the art request or components of the campaign this ad may or may not have been part of. But looking at this challenge with the eye of an OOH graphic designer and through the lens of the target audience, I would have urged the advertiser to run the ad pictured below to promote the same message:

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