3 of the Best 3D Billboards — Out of the Box Advertisements to Capture Audiences’ Attention
3D Billboards are the newest craze in the world of outdoor advertisement.
In 2014, I ran a brand campaign that reversed the decreasing sales of a brand. One month into the campaign, we ran a survey to identify which communication medium was making the most impact.
Once the results came in, we realized that our out-of-home billboards were the clear winner. We did use creative materials like reflective surfaces and 3D cutouts to make them different from other billboards. Still, the way it was outperforming the television ads, digital campaigns, and retailer promotions was unexpected.
However, there was one limitation we found with the billboards. Our audience could only recall up to 3 elements from the billboard despite multiple exposures.
Billboards have their limitations. You have limited space and have to choose what you want to focus on. Usually, the bigger fonts or images are the ones that get recalled. So, despite being an effective communication medium, billboards could be best used to reinforce a campaign supported by other media.
Billboards couldn’t be the hero of a campaign, in most cases.
But that started to change with the advent of 3D billboards. With those, billboards have become a medium that only informs but also lets you experience.
Let’s have a look at three 3D billboards that are redefining the world of advertisement.
3 Outstanding 3D Billboards That Are Showing How It’s Done
Nike Japan’s Air Max Day in Japan
Nike’s ad in Japan is doing too much in my opinion.
But it shows what the medium is capable of. When a user will see this for the first time, there’s nothing else s/he will remember from the day.
It’s not the most nuanced campaign. That doesn’t matter. The purpose is to take advantage of the new format. And they’ve done just that.
Samsung’s Galaxy 3D Billboard
Samsung’s ad is more nuanced.
By using a lively tiger, the light-on incident, and finally the tiger jumping out, this ad creates a memorable experience.
My only comment is that when the tiger jumps out, it breaks the illusion as the tiger goes out of the screen. The ad also doesn’t happen in a perfect loop.
Jeep Wrangler in China
The Jeep Wrangler ad is short & exciting.
The car coming out of the billboard is not unique to the format but serves the purpose of Jeep quite well.
I particularly like the short duration of it. If you consider the people walking by, they can watch it twice while crossing the billboard. It’s likely they’ll remember what this was all about.
Final Thoughts on 3D Billboards
Many more 3D ads are being developed these days. They will surely surpass the existing ones in terms of creativity.
When the novelty of the format will wear off, advertisers will need to make up for that with their storytelling.
Till then, the novelty will give advertisers extra mileage — not only to those who see it directly but also through social media sharing.
And this is just the beginning. Let’s see how this evolves.