Rate This Ad allows a billboard designer to rate a billboard ad selected by Billboard Insider using the following scale: 1 (not good), 2 (below average), 3 (average), 4 (very good), 5 (great). Then the designer recommends how to improve the ad. This week’s rating is from multi-OBIE finalist and former OBIE judge Melody Roberts, founder and CCO of Out of Home Creative. Melody has been in the OOH industry since 2001. Insider uses and endorses her services.

From Melody Roberts: Recommendations are based on how I would approach the creative design without knowing what the designer or OOH company discussed with the advertiser.

The People’s Emporium / Party at the Emporium

Rating 1 (not good)

I’ve included more information to illustrate how I would guide advertisers who request excessive wording vs. a creative concept on shared billboards.

When a logo’s orientation and fonts may be challenging to read for OOH, it can benefit advertisers to see alternatives for their name to be legible.

• Logo elements can be included but modified: one graphic on the left, accent one word with the original font, and change the rest of the text to make it readable from a distance.
• When a website is the company’s name, it can replace the logo, making it larger and more memorable. Logos can still be used for reference but not as the primary focus to free up space.

The importance of colors cannot be overstated. Their role can involve highlighting wording or separating messages to prevent clutter.

• In some cases, layering copy on top of an image can make it difficult to identify what to pay attention to, especially when the colors are similar (as shown on the left).
• Since the address is listed only on the right, consumers might wonder if both businesses are in the same location. To clarify, a different color banner could display the address (and website when applicable) across the bottom if they’re in the same place. This would provide more space to focus on messaging.
• If the business and billboard are in the same city, it is unnecessary to list the city.

It is equally important to emphasize avoiding using a billboard as a business card.

• Edit copy to focus on the most relevant messaging. In addition to the edits listed above, I don’t feel the top wording on both sides was necessary, or the client would have requested it to be more prominent.
• Identify up to three services that cater to advertisers’ needs; it is up to the client to list the most profitable or those not generating sufficient revenue.

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