While loud billboards, posters, shop windows and flyers are screaming for your attention, there are some advertisers that are taking a subtler approach to marketing with hidden ads.
Although some of these advertisements are placed in fairly noticeable locations, as typical ads would be, these kind of hidden ads are extremely subtle, conceal themselves, change locations or fade over time. A few of these elusive ads also play on location-specific factors like weather, or require some kind of interaction before they fully reveal themselves.
With this kind of approach to advertising, the aim seems to be about capturing the attention of a very specific audience that is most likely to be on the look out already, versus the eyes of everyone.
28 Cleverly Hidden Ads
From Water-Based Graffiti Ads to Cleverly Concealed Campaigns:
Laura McQuarrie — May 16, 2014 — Marketing
28
Hidden Message Travel Ads
Expedia Vacations Hides Greetings in Luggage Tags for Newest Print Ads
27
Ingenious Interactive Ads
These Interactive Ads for French Railways Encourage People to Travel
26
Water-Based Graffiti Ads
These Commercial Graffiti Footprints Leave Their Mark but Not a Mess
25
Interactive Fairy Tale Windows
Galeries Lafayette's Holiday Window Display Retells a Classic Story
24
Invisible Kid Ads
The SOS Children's Villages Campaign Brings Light to a Sad Situation
23
Hidden Animal Ads
The Johannesburg Zoo Campaign is Cleverly Camouflaged
22
Weather-Activated Advertisements
These Ads for Stella Artois Cidre Only Appear in Warmer Weather
21
Cleverly Concealed Campaigns
The 'ACCEM' Political Ads are Both Powerful and Informative
20
Invisible Children Ads
The Ponteio Lar Shopping Campaign Asks for Warm Clothes Donations
19
Road-Covered Vehicle Ads
The Volkswagen Side Assist Campaign Shows What is Hidden
18
Hidden Front-Row Ads
The UFL 'Closer to the Action' Campaign Will Snag You the Best Seat
17
Heat-Triggered Paint Illustrations
This Racing Red Bull Helmet Features a New Heat-Triggered Paint
16
Bird Seed Billboards
Nouvelle Soft's Toilet Paper Advertisement Has Nature Say Thanks
15
Sneaky Tweet-Revealed Ads
These Ads for the Isabel Marant H&M Collection Cleverly Use Twitter
14
Scratch-Off Advertisements
These Ads Promote an Exhibit at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago
13
Concealed Cruising Cars
The Invisible Mercedes Plays Tricks with One's Eyes
12
Fading Youth Ads
The Prince's Trust Campaign Helps Young Adults Get Jobs and Training
11
Couples Only Vending Machines
Coke's Invisible Vending Machine Doesn't Reveal Itself for Singles
10
Illusory Beach Beverage Ads
This Minimal Coke Ad Hides the Coca-Cola Swoosh Between Two Ladies
9
People-Blending Beverage Ads
Sprite 'Camo' Campaign Encourages You to Express Yourself
8
Multi-Faceted Violence Ads
This ANAR Campaign Shows a Different Message to Kids and Adults
7
Camouflaged Skateboard Ramps
These Nomad Skateboards Ramps Are Nearly Invisible in the City
6
Stamped Child-Finding Posters
A Poster Made from 1,000 Stamps Helps to Find Missing Kids in Canada
5
Colorfully Hidden Product Ads
IKEA'a Products Are Almost Invisible in the 'Choose Color' Ads
4
Disappearing Act Car Campaigns
A Vanishing Auto in the Volkswagen Golf GTI 'Time Machine' Ad
3
Augmented Reality Bus Ads
The Pepsi MAX Ad Creates Shocking Scenes for People Waiting for Buses
2
Concealed Trainer Fitness Challenges
ASICS' 'Next Epic Challenge' Presents a Hidden Challenge
1
Sneaky Free Speech Campaigns
For World Press Freedom Day, HUMO Snuck Uncensored Words into China
Related Ideas
Temporary Luxury Brand Installations
Burberry's Landscape Series Produces Site-Specific Art
Invisible Furniture Capsules
IKEA's Invsbål Campaign and Capsule are a Playful April Fool's Joke
Sneaker-Stealing Campaigns
Rob It To Get It by Distance Challenged Customers to Outrun a Sprinter
Anti-Consumption Natural Ads
The 'Girls Just Wanna Grow Plants' Ad Aims to Reducing Consumption
AI-Generated Real-World Transformations
AI-Artist Who Gives a Unique Design to Real Objects
Sun-Framing Billboards
Minute Maid's New Billboards Help Passersby Get a Daily Dose of Vitamin D
Water-Scarce Product Concepts
The Drop Store Envisions Products from a World with Less Water
Inconspicuous Pet Furniture
Pilar Pirez Manfredi Designs the TAIPEI Pet Furniture Collection
Ingenious De-Influencing Ads
Cuyana's De-Influencing April Fool's Campaign Highlights Greenwashing
Sporty Fashion Spring Campaigns
adidas Originals Introduces the 1000 Back Campaign
Beer-Pouring Party Billboards
JUBEL Made a Billboard That Pours Pints Invites People in to Party
Ketchup Dispenser Billboards
'Smack for Heinz' Helps Fans Complete Meals with a Favorite Condiment
Glass-Reflective Illuminated Homes
The Invisible House is Detailed with Flos Lighting Systems
Illustrative 420 Campaigns
Vizie Unveils His Latest Work for Grassroots' 420 Campaign
Novel Home Security Concepts
Swift Creatives Introduces 'Sculptural Surveillance'
Empowering Body-Confidence Sports Ads
Dove's 2024 Super Bowl Ad Will Inspire Young Girls
Augmented Reality Travel Murals
Tripadvisor's City Murals Entice People to Sunny San Diego
Engaging Shelf Displays
Netvisual is Elevating In-Store Advertising with its Shelf Edge Displays
Lazy Cereal Campaigns
SURREAL Cereal Cheekily Pokes Fun at New Year's Resolutions
Creative Play Pop-Ups
The Sharpie Studio Offered Opportunities for Creativity at SXSW
Fast Food-Inspired Beachy Campaigns
Leo Burnett Italia Unveils a New Summery McDonald's Campaign
Candid Furniture Campaigns
Life is Not an IKEA Catalog Shows a Different Side of Home Products
AI-Generated QR Codes
Coca-Cola Created Enhanced QR Codes with Musical & Visual Elements
Interactive In-Store Ads
Visibubble Brings Mobile Messaging Capabilities to Store Shelves
Curious Whiskey Campaigns
Four Roses' Don't Mention It Campaign Targets Younger Whiskey Drinkers
Carbon-Absorbing Street Murals
Volkswagen Canada Lauched a Pollution-Eating Mural in Toronto
Fake Ketchup Campaigns
This Heinz Campaign Exposes "Ketchup Fraud"
Convention-Challenging AC Campaigns
Samsung's WindFree Ad Stars a Savvy Grandma-Fluencer
Heat-Sensitive Vending Machines
Sprite's Vending Machine Drops a Drink When Temperatures Rise
Coded Snack Campaigns
Takis is Launching at Aldi in the UK with Drop Codes
Gen Alpha Marketing Campaigns
Claire's is Targeting TikTok Growth for its Latest Ads Spending
Anti-Greenwashing Soap Ads
Navigating Eco-Consumer Irony with Better Climate Store's "Greenwash"
Dynamic CGI Mascara Campaigns
Maybelline New York Unveils an Activation with a Giant Mascara
Playable Beer Coasters
This Budweiser Campaign Uses Vinyl Coasters to Support Underground Artists
Activewear-Branded Smartphones
The Conceptual Adidas FOG Phone Highlights the Three Stripes Logo
E-Commerce Advertising Solutions
Reddit is Enhancing its Reach with the New Dynamic Product Ads
AI-Created Burger Ads
Burger King Had ChatGPT Generate a Poster to Clap Back at a Competitor
AI Travel Campaigns
Away's Extraordinary Is Out There Uses AI to Show Real-World Destinations
Craveable Soda Packaging
Sprite is Reviving Its Obey Your Thirst Campaign for a New Generation
Whimsical Pop-Up Cognac Bars
Yinka Ilori Designed an Eye-Catching Pop-Up at Selfridges
AR Bracelet Billboards
This Tiffany Lock Bracelet Billboard Virtually Unboxes Itself
Architecture-Inspired QSR Ads
This New McDonald’s Campaign Encourages Eating at Home
AR Shopping Malls
American Express' Door to Shop Small Highlights 10 Small Businesses
Hydrating Outdoor Billboards
Gatorade's BPM Pay Panels Replenish Urban Athletees on the Go
Connected Gamer Campaigns
Heineken's Just Another Night Out Shatters Anti-Social Stereotypes
Rosé-Dispensing Billboards
Aldi's Billboard Serves Glasses of Wine at the Optimal Temperature
Soda Logo Rebranding Campaigns
Pepsi's New Logo Goes Across the Globe with a Bright Light Show
Mixed-Reality Cola Billboards
This 3D Coca-Cola Billboard Dispenses Real, Cold Drinks
Cheeky Wireless Service Ads
Visible's New Campaign with Jason Alexander Highlights Transparency
Contextual Intelligence Companies
GumGum is an AI-Powered Marketing Company with Dynamic Placement
Channel-Switching Commercials
This Tubi Super Bowl Ad Tricked Millions of Sports Viewers
Smart Shopping Cart Ads
Instacart Unveiled Ads for Its AI-Powered Caper Carts
Cartoon Underdog Soda Campaigns
Tractor Beverage Company Launches a Moving New Campaign
AI-Powered QSR Campaigns
allplants Leverages AI To Transforms Fast-Food Ads
Recycled Beer Bottle Ads
Corona's Campaigns Encourage Consumers to Recycle Empty Packaging
Sweating Billboards
Netflix's Billboard Conveys the Intense Action of Extraction 2
Youth-Targeted Water Ads
Wyler's Light Launches Vibrant Campaign to Add Flavor to Plain Water
Illusory Yogurt Billboards
Müller Yogurt is Relaunching a 90s Favorite with a Gen Z Twist
Artful Alkaline Waters
Bored & Thirsty Champions Self-Expression & Interactive Packaging
Wild Granny Campaigns
Liquid Death's 'Your Grandma’s Energy Drink' Stars Daring Old Women
Traveling Fine Art Campaigns
EasyJet's Get Out There Features Mona Lisa, The Thinker and More
Collossal Crocodile Campaigns
The Lacoste 'Play Big' Campaign Features Artists and Athletes
Water Digital Wallet Loyalty Cards
Liquid Death Has Introduced the Liquid Death Country Club
Heritage-Honoring Artful Posters
Herman Miller Adds to the Archival Poster Collection
Creativity Time Capsules
Crayola's Campaign for Creativity Reunites Adults with Childhood Art
Cup-Stealing Clothing Collections
Stella Artois' Steal Artois Collection Honors Bar Culture
Food Truck Billboards
McDonald's Transformed Billboards into Digital Food Truck Displays
Humorous Period Care Campaigns
Thinx's New Period Underwear is Introduced in an Ad by OBERLAND
Hidden Seat Bike Locks
The 'Lockinvisible' is Integrated into the Seat Post for Convenience
Immersive Hybrid Billboards
Meta's Halloween Thrillboards Tease Immersive Meta Quest 3 Experiences
Invisible Acne Spot Treatments
The Truly Targeted Acne-Clearing Solution is a "Liquid Patch"
Sweat Mark T-Shirts
This Summer Clothing Range Has Printed Designs That Resemble Sweat
Scented Fast Food Billboards
McDonald's Set Up a French Fry-Scented Billboard
Connected Beer Jerseys
Miller Lite's Running of the Beer Ads Turns Fans into Walking Billboards
Nature-Emphasizing Outdoor Campaigns
Craghoppers Introduces Its Spring/SSummer 2024 Collection
Unfiltered Beauty Campaigns
#NoFilterJustMilani Champions Beauty Online and in Real Life
Tracker-Concealing Underwear
'TreasureTrace' Underwear Keeps Parents Informed of a Kid's Location
Downloadable Game Beer Ads
The Stella 'Beer, Au Naturel’ Ad is Playable on The Sims
Tree-Integrated Mysterious Art
Banksy Unveils a Mysterious Tree Mural in London's Finsbury Park
Syringe-Based Billboards
Dove's Injectable Billboard Addresses Toxic Beauty Standards
Virtual Pub Museums
Heineken Pub Museums Spotlight Important Cultural Locations
Boneless Wing Ads
Whataburger Cleverly Launches Its Boneless Wings with This Ad
Wasteful Shopping Billboards
Not On The High Street's Billboards Highlight a "Don't Gift Guide"
Excavated Underground Living Space
Cera Stribley Creates the New Hideaway House on a Lot
Water-Covered Speaker Installations
Google and Lachlan Turczan Unveil Shaped by Water in Milan
Peaceful Holiday Ads
IKEA's Take A Holiday From The Holidays Reminds People to Find Calm
Cheeky Martini Ads
Grey Goose's Classic Martini Cocktail Ad Pokes Fun at Celeb Creative Directors
London-Inspired Sporty Campaigns
Nike Presents the Pulse of London Campaign Honoring the City
Transformed Historic Bank Buildings
Ivy Studio Overhauls the Interior of a Historic Building
Sustainable QSR Litter Adverts
McDonald's Malta Presents New Captivating Eco-Centric Campaigns
Musical Monsoon Billboards
Brooke Bond Taj Mahal Tea Made a Record-Breaking Interactive Billboard
Tongue-In-Cheek Soda Campaigns
Pepsi Jokes at Coca-Cola in It's Tastes Better Campaign
Evolved Vibrant Graffiti Art
Jan Kaláb Showcases The Evolution of His Bright Artwork
Splashy Canned Water
Drink Weird Sets Itself Apart with Bold Branding & Convenient Cans
Faceless Mother Campaigns
Peanut's Invisible Mothers Visualizes the Solitude Women Experience
Efficiency-Driven Digital Ad Solutions
ShopLiftr is Revolutionizing Digital Advertising
Candid Celebration Campaigns
Edible's "There's an edible for That" Celebrates Even Awkward Moments
Artistic Multi-Beverage Ads
The Coca-Cola Family is Spotlighted in this Unique Ad
AI-Inspired Beer Ads
Sharp is Promoting Its First Hazy IPA, Solar Wave, with "ChatIPA"
Digital City-Inspired Art Works
New Digital Art is on Display in Grand Central Station
Swipable Curated Ad Inspiration
Swipify Lets Users Swipe Through the Latest Ad Campaigns
Air-Purifying Litter Boxes
The WoofiGo Hidden Plant Litter Box Smartly Removes Smells
Conversational Campaign Creators
Creating Google Ads Campaigns is Simpler with AI Chat Features
Computer-Supported Artful Benches
Hidden Presents the Mac Pro Bench on Store Display
Street Artist Digitalized Exhibitions
LG OLED and Shepard Fairey Showcase Digital Street Art
Recycled Ad Campaigns
Mars is Reusing Fan-Favorite Ads to Bring Attention to Climate Change
Footballer-Backed Global Campaigns
Pepsi Unveils the 'Where There's a Ball There's a Way' Campaign
QSR Food-Inspired Door Designs
McDonald's France Launches a New Digital Campaign of Door Visuals
Tax-Season Online Campaigns
These Video Ad Spots Urge Canadians to Take Advantage Of Tax Benefits
Whimsical Bright Creative Workspaces
Publicis Groupe's New Workspace is in New York's SoHo
Reality-Bending Car Ads
CarGurus Ad Features Melting Lego and Gourmet Chef Toddlers
AR Pizza Menus
Hungry Howie's Uses AR to Promote a Secret Pizza Menu
Interactive Quiet-Locating Maps
Quiet Places Finder Helps People Locate Calm in the Big City
Anniversary-Honoring Graphic T-Shirts
Places+Faces Launch Collaboration Tees for 10 Years
Novela-Inspired Liqueur Ads
Kahlúa's Spots Bring Excitement to Everyday Occasions
Hyper-Local Gym Ads
GymBox's Made for London Life Ads Juxtapose City Living and Gym-Going
Flame-Grilled Billboards
This Fiery Billboard Promotes the Flame Grilled Whopper-Flavored Doritos
Locally Focused Visionary Tableware
IKEA's Design Lab Presents the New Products of Place Campaign
NYC Fall-Ready Militaristic Streetwear
maharishi Presents the Art of the Invisible Warrior
Mini Musical Productivity Ads
Slack's The Big Meeting Takes on a Musical Number
Personalized Grocery Billboard Campaigns
Tesco Ireland Gets a New Live-Prompt Campaign
Offline Shopping Campaigns
'Shop Offline' Helps People Rediscover the Joy of Real-World Shopping
Revamped Juice Overhauls
Ocean Spray Announces a Brand Overhaul with Modern Influences
Review-Based Marketing Campaigns
These Amazon Campaigns Bring Real Reviews To Life
Invisibility-Illusion Portable Cloaks
The Invisibility Shield Co. Relies on Science
Deserted Island Billboards
Silk & Spice Set Up a Billboard for Fans to Go and Find
High-Frequency Radio Ads
This Morrisons Ad is So High Pitched, Only Dogs Can Hear it
Plant-Based QSR Campaigns
Burger King's Confusing Times Campaign is Made with DAVID Madrid
Billboard-Transformed Tent Shelters
Wunderman Thompson Morocco Creates the Life-Saving Outdoors
AI-Powered Video Advertisements
YouTube is Utilizing AI to Enhance its Advertising Approaches
Reimagined Impressionist Paintings
AT&T Partners with Smartify to Highlight 5G Technology and AR
Ad-Focused Reaction Tools
Wunderman Thompson Launches 'Reveal' for Gauging Audience Responses
National Trafficking Awareness Ads
The See the Trafficking Signs Campaign Aims to Raise Awareness
Energetic Filtered Water Campaigns
Brita's Taste Over Everything Campaign is Youthful & Optimistic
Wasp Perspective Beauty Campaigns
Boots Launches its Perfectly Imperfect Campaign Video
Subtle Marketing Pop-Ups
FOMO Nudge Encourages Users to Buy with Subtle Pop-Ups
Heritage Building-Blending Solar Panels
Dyaqua Designs the New Invisible Solar Panels
Grocery Store Ad Spots
Morrisons, the UK Supermarket Chain, Celebrates Its Low Pricing in This Ad
Location-Based Photo Sharing
Harbor Creates Personalized Picture Albums Through location Sharing
Generative AI Beverage Ads
The Coca‑Cola® Masterpiece Campaign Leverages AI to Create Visual Magic