A How To Guide

Getting Good Creative Approved

Let’s talk about the problems we’ve all seen on billboards. The boring, broken ads that have plagued our industry for decades. The schlock that makes up 90% of what posts. The sh*t that repeatedly sets the bar for every new and recurring customer, whether we want it to or not. Let’s talk about the garbage that gives our industry a bad name, and how to fix it. How to recognize good creative when it hits us in the face. And most importantly, how to get it approved so that all that time and money doesn’t go down the crapper.

TIME TO GET THIS SH*T OFF THE ROAD.

Out of Home’s Greatest Sh*ts

Sh*t like that up above. It’s got to go. If you’re looking at some of these and you think they’re okay, sit tight, friend—we’re going to school.

Start Early

You can make a major dent in the number of phone number, photo, website, and bullet point conversations you have, by simply talking about creative before you ever start talking about creative.

DONT’ SHOW THEM SH*T LIKE THIS.

That’s What They See

That is what you show them. No wonder that’s what they want. That is what people think billboards are supposed to look like. But you have the chance to surprise them. To better educate them.

SHOW THEM DIFFERENT. IF THEY’RE SURPRISED, THEIR AUDIENCE WILL BE TOO.

Back It Up

Research backs up what we’ve been saying about the amount of junk that gets crammed into a design. Use these before you need to. If you’re using these stats after a client has already asked for the phone number, and website, and address, and list of services, you’re too late.

The likelihood that consumers will take away a single message from an ad drops by 35% for every additional message.

1 Message = 100% chance of 1 message recall

2 Messages = 65% chance of 1 message recall

3 Messages = 43% chance of 1 message recall

4 Messages = 35% chance of 1 message recall

Source: Journal of Advertising Research - Millward Brown

And that study wasn’t about billboard ads specifically—where you have even less time to process.

There’s a 0% chance you’ll remember that Farm Stand is your community’s home for healthy living, that they’re grocery, that they’re deli, that they’re pharmacy, that they have bulk bins, or that the feature Azurewell or Azure brands.

There’s a 100% chance you’ll remember ProDough is protein.

The number of visual elements within a creative design have a negative correlation with recall and recognition.

Source: Franzen, 1994; Hendon, 1972; Stern, Krugman, and Resnik, 1981

A headline, four drinks with four different names, a website, and a logo. 11 visual elements.

A guy, his name, a headline, a logo. Four elements.

WHAT’S MORE MEMORABLE?

Studies of both print and outdoor advertising have shown the amount of text correlates negatively with attention, recognition, recall, and the appeal of the advertising for every additional message.

Source: Bhargava, Donthu, and Caro, 1994 Donthu, Cherian, and Bhargava, 1993; Gardner and Luchtenberg, 2000; Hendon, 1972; Rossiter, 1981

You should be drawn to the one on the right more than the left.

Starting a Creative Conversation

You’ve shown them good creative. You’ve worked in some research. Now it’s time to talk. Stop asking what they want on their billboard. That’s just asking them to fill it up with stuff. Start with what they want to accomplish. Talk about outcomes. That leaves the creative path open for exploring something interesting.

WHAT DO YOU WANT ON YOUR BILLBOARD? TO ACCOMPLISH

Put Up or Shut Up

Sales

  • Speak intelligently about how advertising works. 

  • Hold the expert position.

  • Keep learning.

Creative

  • Don’t just make things look pretty.

  • Create big ideas.

  • Speak intelligently about why this idea will resonate with the audience.

  • Keep learning.

Present Your Best Work

Don’t just mail it in. Make it an event. Get with your client, either in person or via video chat and walk them through it. Tell them why each piece is successful. Educate them on why each piece is the best use of the out of home medium. Inspire them to post better advertising on your structures.

IF YOU DON’T HAVE A PORTFOLIO. GET ONE.

It Takes Time

There’s no easy. There’s no quick. This is a from-the-top-down cultural shift within your company. And even then, only a handful of your employees will really take it and run with it. Even fewer of their clients will immediately get onboard. But one will. Maybe two. And when there sweet sh*t hits the streets, others will follow. Within a year or two, you’ll likely see a difference in client retention and increases in rates, as you justify the value you’re adding to your clients’ budgets.

Phone Number Hill

You’ve done everything we just talked about. Show good creative. Talk about goals. Deliver on good creative. And they still want their phone number or email address or city, state, and zip no matter what? F*ck it. Do it. You’ve still got a great billboard concept. Phone numbers don’t kill ads. Boring sh*t kills ads.

CALL THE PHONE NUMBER. JUST DON’T CALL IT BORING.

Get Started

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