Billboard advertising: 5 traffic-stopping examples

Billboard advertising is some of the best design there is, with larger-than-life design striving to catch the eye of busy consumers out on the street. Their sheer size gives them extra impact, but they need to be clever and not just enormous. We've listed our favourite billboard designs, all of which try something new and different to make their mark.

1. Wave of Waste

To mark World Oceans day in 2018, Corona worked with Wieden + Kennedy on this sobering billboard advertising campaign. Artist Andy Billett created a 3D 'wave' from plastic waste collected in the UK, which combined with an image of Chris Hemsworth surfing to emphasise the volume of plastic ending up in our oceans. The public was encouraged to drop off their own waste at the site. Similar campaigns were run in Melbourne, Lima, Santiago, Bogota and Santo Domingo.

2. Coca-Cola: The Sign

This billboard advertising campaign from Publicis Italia encouraged Coca-Cola drinkers to recycle their empty bottles. The agency cleverly adapted Cola's iconic ribbon design to literally point passers-by to the nearest recycling bin. There was some controversy surrounding the ads, however, with critics commenting that Coca-Cola was doing too little to offset the massive environmental impact of its products.

3. Formula Toothcare

This utterly creative billboard design for Formula Toothcare takes its tag line 'builds strong teeth' to extremes. The 'broken' metal frame makes the billboard design look all the more realistic and eye-catching – ensuring a strong execution in delivery. This would certainly catch our eye if we were walking past.

4. Panasonic nose hair trimmer

We love this comedic design by Saatchi & Saatchi Indonesia for Panasonic's nose hair trimmer. The billboards were built around wires and poles to amusingly advertise the need for the device and showcase its safety cutting system. It's a fun and innovative idea.

5. Colorado State Patrol

'Tailgating isn't worth it. Give Trucks room. It's the law.' That's the message that features on this brilliantly designed billboard by French-American advertising agency Amélie Company for the Colorado State Patrol. It's simple, keep your distance or end up looking like the billboard. This is one design that will certainly grab the attention of drivers. Although let's hope the campaign doesn't keep their eyes off the road for too long...