Theatrical and functional are two traits that define the most popular 2014 billboard trends. In order to compete with a world that's full of mobile and digital ads, some of the most successful billboard marketing campaigns really put on a show. This includes billboards that are painted live, morph over time, make use of actors or feature interactive elements to demand engagement as well as attention.
Rather than simply occupying a space, additional examples of some of the year's most creative billboards offer appealing perks like free WiFi, ways cool off in the summer, shelter from the rain or a comfortable place to sit.
Trend Hunter's 2015 Trend Report provides an in-depth look at more examples of innovative billboard advertising and future of marketing.
Top 75 Billboards Trends of 2014
75
Sensually Silly Billboard Photography
The American Apparel by Thomas Alleman Shows Ill-Fitted Ads
74
River Cleaning Billboards
A Floating Water Purification Billboard is Making a Difference in Manila
73
Interactive Shopping Signs
The Videotel System Helps Shop Owners Create Digital Signs
72
Violent Shadow Billboards
UNICEF's Domestic Violence Ad Takes on a Darker Tone at Night
71
House-Converted Billboards
DesignDevelop Turns Ads into Shelters for the Homeless
70
Monthly Makeup Subscriptions
e.l.f's Beauty Bundle Box Feaures New Beauty Products and Tools
69
Starry Bioluminescent Billboards
O2's Starry Billboard Celebrates the Samsung Galaxy S5 Launch
68
Slenderized Yogurt Cups
The New Activia Packaging Conveys Its Yogurt is a Slimming Snack
67
Humanizing Homeless People Paintings
These Murals by Depaul UK is a Show of Street Art Activism
66
Real Dead Bunny Billboards
Hell Pizza is Advertising Easter Rabbit Pizza with Real Dead Rabbits
65
Fittingly Flexed Signage
The Bent iPhone Billboard Makes Fun of an Imperfect Product
64
Illuminating Child Abuse Ads
This UNICEF Bulgaria Billboard Aims to End Violence Against Children
63
Framed Snapshot Billboards
A Camera-Shaped Ad Frames a Perfect Shot with the Canon EOS 1200D
62
Perspective Illusion Billboards
Best FM's Interactive Poster Gets People to Shake Their Heads
61
Mind-Controlled Gaming Billboards
Mindpong Uses Interactive Billboard Advertising to Beat Cancer
60
Edible Cake Billboards
Mr Kipling Shows That 'Life is Better with Cake' by Sharing a Sweet Ad
59
Colossal Interactive Billboards
Google's Giant Times Square Billboard Hosts an Android Game
58
Charitable Wheelchair Bicycles
The Heartbike Supports the Heart and Stroke Foundation Bike Ride
57
Hoarding Auto Adverts
The Honda Fit Billboard Showcases All the Items One Can Put in Their Car
56
Abandoned Chocolate Ads
This Kit Kat Ad Shows a Literal Take on the Brand's Slogan
55
Terrifying Digital Billboards
Sky Austria Promotes 'The Walking Dead' with Shocking Zombies
54
Pre-Packaged Communion Cups
This Ergonomic Design Makes Wine and Bread Passing Less Complicated
53
Carefree Cityscape Campaigns
The Lacoste 'Life is a Beautiful Sport' Spring 2014 Ads are Whimsical
52
Live Update Tennis Billboards
This US Open Sports Marketing Campaign Relays Daily Match Highlights
51
Air-Purifying Billboards
UTEC is Taking on Peru's Construction Pollution with Clever Advertising
50
Scary Poster Pranks
This Amusement Park Promotion Advertises a Terrifying Ride in a Creepy Way
49
Freshly Painted Food Billboards
Gregg's Billboard Ad Has an Artist Prepare Food Paintings Live
48
Interactive Avatar-Making Billboards
McDonald's Little Piccadilly is an Interactive Advertisement
47
Storytelling Furniture Ads
IKEA's Billboards Shows Scenarios for Leafing Through Its Catalog
46
Digital Billboard Art Galleries
'Stockholm Is Your Canvas' Allows Citizens to Display Personal Art
45
Bird Seed Billboards
Nouvelle Soft's Toilet Paper Advertisement Has Nature Say Thanks
44
Sneaky Tweet-Revealed Ads
These Ads for the Isabel Marant H&M Collection Cleverly Use Twitter
43
Construction Site Clothing Campaigns
The David Beckham for H&M Bodywear Spring 2014 Ads Are Rugged
42
Interactive Flamethrowing Billboards
The ICE&FIRE; Interactive Drink Ad Calls for Social Media
41
Candy-Coated Fingernail Billboards
These Candy Crush Nails are Insanely Extravagant
40
Unmissable Targeted Ads
Ogilvy & Mather Can't Avoid Intridea's Advertising Billboard
39
Commemorative Cookie Campaigns
Times Square Has been Transformed for Oreo's 100th Birthday
38
Movie Completion Ads
Orville Redenbacher's Night Time Billboard Requires Dark to Make Sense
37
Grilled Food Fonts
The Grillography Project Turns BBQ Food Into a Typeface
36
Interactive Print
Editor Jaime Neely Discusses Her Favorite Immersive Print Campaigns
35
Distorted Beauty Billboards
This Pola Apex Campaign Represents Imbalanced Skin Solutions
34
Interactive Hair-Blowing Subway Ads
This Interactive Ad Recognizes When Trains are Coming & Reacts
33
Watercolor Lingerie Ads
Alberto Seveso Blends Lingerie Models and Paint for Bustier's Ad Campaign
32
Ice Wall Publicity Stunts
Speed Stick Gear Literally Brings Men's Hygiene to New Heights
31
Phone-Sized Shopping Ads
Tesco's Mobile App Ad Presents Its App as the Tiniest Store Ever
30
Anatomical Interactive Billboards
A Campaign by Voyages Travel Agency Features Giant Body Parts
29
Intentionally Broken Billboards
Volkswagen's Broken Billboard Design Shows the Need for Real Parts
28
Responsive GIF Ads
These Netflix Movie Poster Ads Attract Pop Culture & Internet-Savvy People
27
Aerial Dronevertising
Wokker's Ad-Carrying Drones Takes Aerial Advertising to New Heights
26
Chicken Burger Motels
The Burger King Motel Allows Chicken Lovers to Cheat on Beef
25
Refurbished Recycled Ads
Creative Duo Shows the Stunning Transformation of Recycled Advertising
24
Metamorphic Billboard Ads
These IKEA Ads are Recognizable and Make Use Out of Small Spaces
23
Rainbow-Accompanied Ads
Coca-Cola's Man-Made Rainbows Celebrate South Africa's Rainbow Nation
22
Summer Gear Giveaway Ads
Lemon & Paeroa's Summer Sign Ads Gave Away Flip Flops and Towels
21
Live Travel Billboards
The Takeoff by Transavia Makes Its Advertisement Absolutely Unmissable
20
Flight Simulation Billboards
This Travel Billboard from KLM Turns the Public into Pilots
19
Colorfully Hidden Product Ads
IKEA'a Products Are Almost Invisible in the 'Choose Color' Ads
18
Hallucination-Inducing Billboards
This Electronic Broken Billboard Shows Incredible Colors
17
Billboard-Revamped Buildings
OBI is Restoring Old Buildings with Creative Eye-Catching Billboards
16
Award-Winning Tourism Ads
The 'Pure Michigan' Campaign Aims to Lure Visitors to the Motor City
15
Funny Talkative Billboards
Sprite's Bill the Billboard Soda Pop Ad Reminds You to 'Obey You'
14
Vacuum-Suctioned Billboards
Saatchi Netherlands Created a Clever Samsung Vacuum Ad
13
Mini Makeover Billboards
The Obi Renovated Billboards Make Buildings More Beautiful
12
Vertical Blind Billboards
McDonald's Bus Shelter Billboard Keeps People Cool with Shaded Blinds
11
Money-Filled Movie Posters
This Bus Shelter Ad for the Wolf of Wall Street Uses a Real $10,000
10
Magical Floating Billboards
This Billboard Advertising Stunt Cleverly Promotes a Magic Festival
9
Moving Taxi Cab Ads
Live Screens Now Sit Atop Taxis in New York
8
Fasting Countdown Billboards
Aytac's Food Advertising Campaign Respectfully Acknowledges Ramadan
7
Epic Book Trailers
Penguin's Book Trailer Campaign Makes Literature as Epic as Movies
6
Teaser TV Billboards
A Giant Billboard for 'James M. McGill' Promotes the Breaking Bad Spinoff
5
Gigantic Flip Flop Advertisements
This Giant Billboard Delivers Its Message with a Real Kick
4
Grill-Insired Fiery Billboards
The Double Grill and Bar Steakhouse Grilled Its Own Billboard
3
Artistically Repurposed Ads (UPDATE)
Art Everywhere US Takes Its Artful Billboards to Times Square
2
Nighttime Grocery Billboards
Carulla's Grocery Store Advertisements Only Come Out After Hours
1
Critical Consumerism Videos
The 'Consume Ourselves' Video Criticizes Excessive Consumer Culture
Related Ideas
Abused Princess Ads
These Battered Disney Ads by Saint Hoax Hope to Put an End to Domestic Abuse
Body Diversity Campaigns
This Dear Kate Ad Celebrates All Different Types of Bodies
Modelo Especial Presents: Hyperreal Digital Painting
Interactive Print Ads
C&A's Interactive Print Advertising Includes a Working Facebook Like Button
Can Currency Campaigns
McDonald's Stockholm Lets Youth Trade in Bags of Recycled Cans For Burgers
Model Workout Ads
The Nike Women Fall 2014 Collection Stars an Exercising Karlie Kloss
Bespoke Bag Platforms
The Kate Spade Saturday Website Lets Users Design Their Own Weekender Bag
Illuminating Cosmetic Campaigns
Nagi Sakai Captures the Latest Barneys Beauty Book Advert
Untouched Fashion Ads
The Vanessa Hudgens Bongo Campaign Has No Retouching or Filters
Digital Bus Shelter Advertisements
This Augmented Reality Ad Immerses Commuters in a Video Game
Food-Inspired Fashion Shops
Anya Hindmarch's Fashion Pop Up Presents Luxury Goods Like Groceries
Violent Shadow Billboards
UNICEF's Domestic Violence Ad Takes on a Darker Tone at Night
Shopping Survey Tablets
Co-operative Food's Smart Shopping Cart Asks Customers for Feedback
Real-Time Makeup Apps
L'Oreal's Makeup Genius App Lets You Virtually Try Cosmetics Live
Cheeky Grocery Branding
This Grocery Store Brand Takes Inspiration from Pixar and Buzzfeed
Radiant Skincare Collections
Dolce & Gabbana is Introducing Its First Designer Skin Care Lines
DIY Watercolor Mugs
Give Your White Ceramic Mugs an Artistic Makeover With Nail Polish
DIY Watercolor Napkins
Turn the Average Napkin into a Piece of Art
Decadent Grocery Packaging
Woolworths Gold Grocery Store Food Packaging is Unusually Upscale
Aerial Bartender Drones
The Yura Appliance System is a Personal Robotic Bartender
Beauty Subscription Shops
Birchbox's Subscription Service Experience Now Takes the Form of a Shop
Tweet-Activated Snack Machines
Walkers' Snack Vending Machine Trades Tweets for Potato Chips
Dytopian Future Fashion
The Affair by Zoltan Csaki is Inspired by George Orwell's '1984'
Extinct Passenger Campaigns
Volkswagen Showcases the Different Kinds of Backseat Drivers
Face-Shattering Bullying Ads
The Words Can Kill by Armando Testa Campaign Targets Offensive Terms
Fittingly Flexed Signage
The Bent iPhone Billboard Makes Fun of an Imperfect Product
Interactive Insta-Magazines
Mazda Canada Uses Instagram for Creative Social Media Marketing
Distracting Text Ads
VW's Distracted Driving Ad Campaign Shows You Can't Look Two Places at Once
Shark-Inspired Automotive Games
Volkswagen Shark Week Campaign Features Shark-Centric Car Games
Mustache Soup Campaigns
Campbell Created 'Chunky Movember' to Raise Awareness for Men's Health
Multiplex Mirror Advertisements
The Hermès Men Etcetera Feature Captures Multiple Personalities
Perspective Illusion Billboards
Best FM's Interactive Poster Gets People to Shake Their Heads
Elite Tennis Fashions
The Nike US Open Apparel Will Adorn Some of the World's Elite Tennis Players
Edible Cake Billboards
Mr Kipling Shows That 'Life is Better with Cake' by Sharing a Sweet Ad
Abandoned Chocolate Ads
This Kit Kat Ad Shows a Literal Take on the Brand's Slogan
Drone Hoverbike Toys
Malloy Aeronautics' Drone Teases the Design of a Full-Scale Quadrotor
Terrifying Digital Billboards
Sky Austria Promotes 'The Walking Dead' with Shocking Zombies
Sophisticated Safari Illustrations
Marcel George's Watercolor Illustrations Take You to the Jungle
Live Update Tennis Billboards
This US Open Sports Marketing Campaign Relays Daily Match Highlights
Creepy Car Wash Pranks
Ford's Spooky Car Wash Scares Unsuspecting Drivers & Passengers
Felon Fandom Communities
The Orange is the New Black Fandom is Dedicated
Lip-Licking Adverts
Delicious by Carmex Unveils a Very Literal Tongue-in-Cheek Advert
Scary Poster Pranks
This Amusement Park Promotion Advertises a Terrifying Ride in a Creepy Way
Freshly Painted Food Billboards
Gregg's Billboard Ad Has an Artist Prepare Food Paintings Live
Neon-Painted Sports Cars
The Ferrari California T's Rainbow Paint Job Focuses on Speed
Minimal Lampshade Lookbooks
The Tonsure Spring Collection is Structured For the Cooler Weather
Tweeting Bookmarks
Penguin Books' Reading Campaign Serves as a Reminder to Read
Portable Vino Pouches
The Resealable Nuvino Wine Pouch is Travel Friendly and Have Single Portions
Cosmic Watercolor Paintings
Artist Stella Maria Baer Creates Otherworldly Artworks
Interactive Balloon Portraits
This Old Navy Ad Turns Your Selfies into Balloon Art
Personified Chocolate Campaigns
Schaffen Berger's Chocolate Ad Campaign is Packed with Personality
Storytelling Furniture Ads
IKEA's Billboards Shows Scenarios for Leafing Through Its Catalog
Social List Apps
The Socialist App Sets Itself Apart With Its Social and Integration Features
Prepackaged Flavored Shots
The LIQS Cocktail Shots are Designed to be Consumed On-the-Go
Interactive Smartphone Timelines
The Apple iPhone History Site Shows the Evolution of the Device
Filmic Photographer Contests
Netflix Wants a 'Grammaster' to Run Its Netflix Instagram Account
Social Streaming Suggestions
You Can Make Private Netflix Recommendations to Your Facebook Friends
Faux-Pas Airline Promotions
The Malaysia Airlines Bucket List Campaign Rebrands the Competition
Makeup-Free Model Ads
The Latest Sonia Rykiel Fall Campaign Stars an Understated Gisele Bundchen
Interactive Flamethrowing Billboards
The ICE&FIRE; Interactive Drink Ad Calls for Social Media
Killer Popcorn Ads
This Red Cross Ad Presents Popcorn as a Deadly Killer
Unmissable Targeted Ads
Ogilvy & Mather Can't Avoid Intridea's Advertising Billboard
Melted Popsicle Portraits
These Illustrations Replace Paint with Melted Ice Cream
Beat-Up Cab Installations
This Promotional Marketing Stunt Takes an Axe to an NYC Cab
Virtual Cloudgazing Contests
Delta Wants You to Stare at the Clouds Online to Win a Trip Ticket
Virtual Customization Kiosks
Foot Locker Introduces an Interactive Shoe Customization Service
Movie Completion Ads
Orville Redenbacher's Night Time Billboard Requires Dark to Make Sense
Tennis Data Music
IBM and James Murphy Make Tennis Music from US Open Data
Interactive Print
Editor Jaime Neely Discusses Her Favorite Immersive Print Campaigns
Upcycled Banner Bags
Emirates Turns an Old Advertisement into Eco Shopping Bags
Distorted Beauty Billboards
This Pola Apex Campaign Represents Imbalanced Skin Solutions
Scary Photobooth Pranks
Hello Denizen's Haunted Halloween Photobooth Prank Captures Screams
Fashionable Passport Promotions
Nine West's Passport to Fashion Loyalty Program is Great for Deals
Painstaking Architectural Art
This Do Ho Suh Exhibition Features Large-Scale Rubbings
Female Convict Artworks
Orange is the New Black Fan Art is Created for Netflix's Outdoor Campaign
Rain-Activated Ads
Bumbershoot's Creative Ad Puts the Constant Seattle Rain to Work
Intentionally Broken Billboards
Volkswagen's Broken Billboard Design Shows the Need for Real Parts
Film Spoiling Websites
Nexflix Gives You the Opportunity to Spoil Yourself With Its New Site
Responsive GIF Ads
These Netflix Movie Poster Ads Attract Pop Culture & Internet-Savvy People
Social Silencing Experiments
Heineken’s Quiet Please Experiment Asks Loud New Yorkers to Hush
Time-Sensitive Postcard Mosaics
This Large-Scale Mosaic of Jack Bauer Was Set Up in 24 Hours
Pre-Mixed Pina Coladas
This Convenient Frozen Pina Colada Mix Means You Can Kick Back and Relax
Flight Simulation Billboards
This Travel Billboard from KLM Turns the Public into Pilots
Collective Video Services
Rabbit Video Chat Lets You Remotely Watch Videos With Others
Airline Assistant Dogs
KLM's Lost and Found Service is Run by an Adorable Dog
Unmanned Cargo Drones
The Compact 'Cargo Unmanned Air System' Can Carry Surprisingly Heavy Loads
Leopard Tennis Apparel
Serena Williams Sported Pink Leopard Print at the US Open
Popcorn-Covered Cars
This Popcorn Car from Braunschweig's University of Art is an Eye-Popper
Funny Talkative Billboards
Sprite's Bill the Billboard Soda Pop Ad Reminds You to 'Obey You'
Pet-Centric Airline Channels
British Airways Has a New In-Flight TV Channel That's All About Pets
Hair-Raising Cancer Ads
The Swedish Childhood Cancer Foundation Shares a Hair-Raising Message
Workout-Monitoring Sportswear
The Ralph Lauren Polo Tech Shirt Monitors Physiological Info
Vertical Blind Billboards
McDonald's Bus Shelter Billboard Keeps People Cool with Shaded Blinds
Cinematic Zombie Games
The Walking Dead: No Man's Land Game Trailer Teases the Upcoming Release
Tennis Training Apps
The Sony Smart Tennis Sensor App Will Teach You To Play Like a Pro
Inspiring Tennis Star Ads
This Serena Williams Ad for Beats By Dre Will Inspire and Motivate You
Puzzling Car Campaigns
This Volkswagen Print Ad Puzzle Encourages Using Genuine Car Parts
Magical Floating Billboards
This Billboard Advertising Stunt Cleverly Promotes a Magic Festival
Pancake Printing Machines
Alaska Airlines' Pancake-Making Machine Treats Travelers to a Quick Meal
Phone-Charging Car Ads
VW's Mobile Car Ad Cleverly Promotes the Electric e-Golf with an App
Wishbone-Shaped Billboards
LOHA Builds the Sunset Billboard 8535 in LA
Sophisticated Military Drones
The Predator B ER is a Highly Advanced Unmanned Military Aircraft
Surreal Fairytale Sketches
These Watercolor Illustrations of Tumbelina are Breathtaking
Fasting Countdown Billboards
Aytac's Food Advertising Campaign Respectfully Acknowledges Ramadan
Refreshing Drink Ads
Lipton's Interactive Bus Stop Ad Helps People Cool Off in the Summer
Teaser TV Billboards
A Giant Billboard for 'James M. McGill' Promotes the Breaking Bad Spinoff
Artistically Repurposed Ads (UPDATE)
Art Everywhere US Takes Its Artful Billboards to Times Square
Teasing Ramadan Posters
Indomie Tempts People Who Are Observing the Ramadan Fast
Legendary Tennis Shoes
Roger Federer's US Open Shoes are Inspired by the Air Jordan III