Comedic Billboards

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When working on an outdoor advertising campaign, designing the artwork and writing the copy are arguably the most important (and most fun) steps in the billboard buying process. 

Experimenting with colors, sorting through image options, and brainstorming catchy slogans that fit your brand can be mentally taxing, though—especially if you’re trying to grab the viewer’s attention with something that will bring a smile to their face. 

So in honor of the perfect harmony that is comedic genius and billboard advertising, here are some of our all-time favorite funny, witty, or just straight-up clever billboards. 

The Grinch 

Back in 2018, with the release of The Grinch, bright green billboards with grumpy, Grinch-esque bits of text popped up across the U.S. 

Not only were they visually appealing, recognizable, and readable, but they captured the essence of the film perfectly and appealed to the local audiences. 

Spotify

We’ve talked about Spotify billboards briefly before, but want to draw some more attention to the wit that the marketing team brought to this marketing campaign (and a couple of others) a few years ago. 

By using engaging (and brand-recognizable) colors, referencing big names in music, and writing quick and witty copy, they not only engage a wide variety of people, but also find a way to resonate with almost everyone in one way or another. 

AirAsia

This AirAsia ad from 2009 is still an iconic ad with some impeccable wordplay. Obviously, the Thai city Phuket’s pronunciation reads phonetically to native English-speakers as sounding like a certain explicit phrase (though it’s actually pronounced as poo – ket). 

Photo via Tasty Thailand.

Long story short: comedic billboard campaigns can be the right move if they match the brand of what it is they’re advertising.  When done intelligently with solid design, they catch the eye and will stick in the viewer’s memory.