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.

Crawl Space Ninja

Rating: 3 (average)

• The ad pictured here does a good job as an awareness piece. However, I am puzzled by a couple of things.
• Part of the logo is cut off, which hurts brand identity and equity in the marketplace unless one’s brand is Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, etc.
• The other thing I find odd is that there is no contact info. I suppose the advertiser is presuming the target audience will look them up online, but that really muddies the water when trying to measure response or ROI.
• The contrast between background and text is high for good legibility.
• The 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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