Highway v. Intersection Billboards

Location is an important factor to consider when reserving ad space—demographics, vicinity to the business being advertised, and cost are all common to think about when choosing your ad space. But when you’re actually designing the ad, consider whether it’s on the side of a highway, or right on the corner of a busy intersection—this will affect how much time the viewer will have to take in the information on your ad. 

In the past, this blog has featured articles that stress the importance of creating billboards that aren’t cluttered with information, and that still holds. When it comes to an intersection billboard though, a designer can get away with adding a few more elements than usual. 

The reasoning is that people are likely to be stopped at an intersection which allows them more time to take in their surroundings. The time waiting for the light to turn green is the perfect opportunity for billboards to be viewed in their entirety.

In addition, you also have to consider foot traffic. City intersections are bound to have people walking around. Look at Times Square in New York. With heavy traffic and a mass amount of people walking around, advertisers have more time to communicate their message. 

Highway billboards are different. It’s better to have a straightforward design and messaging because drivers will be passing the billboards quickly. For example, if you want to promote your restaurant along a highway, have the billboard feature a professional, appetizing image of your food along with the location. These two simple things are efficient at getting the message across.

The cost of the billboard is also a relevant factor. It’s likely going to be more expensive to rent a digital billboard space in a metropolitan intersection than it is to find a billboard nestled along a highway. There’s going to be lots of demand for a billboard that is located in an area that experiences lots of traffic going through it. Compare that to a situation where a billboard is located along the countryside. 

That’s something to keep in mind when budgeting your billboard. Think about which area and demographics fits your billboard placement. 

Keep up to date with our blog for more eye-opening perspectives on the billboard industry.