Top 75 Billboards Trends of 2014

From Abandoned Chocolate Ads to Scary Poster Pranks

— January 1, 2015 — Marketing
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.
5.5
Score
Popularity
Activity
Freshness
74
Critical Consumerism Videos
Critical Consumerism Videos
The 'Consume Ourselves' Video Criticizes Excessive Consumer Culture
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73
Artistically Repurposed Ads (UPDATE)
Artistically Repurposed Ads (UPDATE)
Art Everywhere US Takes Its Artful Billboards to Times Square
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72
Award-Winning Tourism Ads
Award-Winning Tourism Ads
The 'Pure Michigan' Campaign Aims to Lure Visitors to the Motor City
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71
Billboard-Revamped Buildings
Billboard-Revamped Buildings
OBI is Restoring Old Buildings with Creative Eye-Catching Billboards
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70
Metamorphic Billboard Ads
Metamorphic Billboard Ads
These IKEA Ads are Recognizable and Make Use Out of Small Spaces
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69
Epic Book Trailers
Epic Book Trailers
Penguin's Book Trailer Campaign Makes Literature as Epic as Movies
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68
Intentionally Broken Billboards
Intentionally Broken Billboards
Volkswagen's Broken Billboard Design Shows the Need for Real Parts
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67
Fasting Countdown Billboards
Fasting Countdown Billboards
Aytac's Food Advertising Campaign Respectfully Acknowledges Ramadan
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66
Magical Floating Billboards
Magical Floating Billboards
This Billboard Advertising Stunt Cleverly Promotes a Magic Festival
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65
Mini Makeover Billboards
Mini Makeover Billboards
The Obi Renovated Billboards Make Buildings More Beautiful
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64
Hallucination-Inducing Billboards
Hallucination-Inducing Billboards
This Electronic Broken Billboard Shows Incredible Colors
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63
Summer Gear Giveaway Ads
Summer Gear Giveaway Ads
Lemon & Paeroa's Summer Sign Ads Gave Away Flip Flops and Towels
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62
Anatomical Interactive Billboards
Anatomical Interactive Billboards
A Campaign by Voyages Travel Agency Features Giant Body Parts
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61
Live Update Tennis Billboards
Live Update Tennis Billboards
This US Open Sports Marketing Campaign Relays Daily Match Highlights
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60
Rainbow-Accompanied Ads
Rainbow-Accompanied Ads
Coca-Cola's Man-Made Rainbows Celebrate South Africa's Rainbow Nation
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59
Nighttime Grocery Billboards
Nighttime Grocery Billboards
Carulla's Grocery Store Advertisements Only Come Out After Hours
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58
Grill-Insired Fiery Billboards
Grill-Insired Fiery Billboards
The Double Grill and Bar Steakhouse Grilled Its Own Billboard
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57
Vacuum-Suctioned Billboards
Vacuum-Suctioned Billboards
Saatchi Netherlands Created a Clever Samsung Vacuum Ad
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56
Chicken Burger Motels
Chicken Burger Motels
The Burger King Motel Allows Chicken Lovers to Cheat on Beef
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55
Money-Filled Movie Posters
Money-Filled Movie Posters
This Bus Shelter Ad for the Wolf of Wall Street Uses a Real $10,000
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54
Movie Completion Ads
Movie Completion Ads
Orville Redenbacher's Night Time Billboard Requires Dark to Make Sense
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53
Interactive Print
Interactive Print
Editor Jaime Neely Discusses Her Favorite Immersive Print Campaigns
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52
Interactive Flamethrowing Billboards
Interactive Flamethrowing Billboards
The ICE&FIRE; Interactive Drink Ad Calls for Social Media
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51
Ice Wall Publicity Stunts
Ice Wall Publicity Stunts
Speed Stick Gear Literally Brings Men's Hygiene to New Heights
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50
Aerial Dronevertising
Aerial Dronevertising
Wokker's Ad-Carrying Drones Takes Aerial Advertising to New Heights
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49
Freshly Painted Food Billboards
Freshly Painted Food Billboards
Gregg's Billboard Ad Has an Artist Prepare Food Paintings Live
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48
Moving Taxi Cab Ads
Moving Taxi Cab Ads
Live Screens Now Sit Atop Taxis in New York
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47
Commemorative Cookie Campaigns
Commemorative Cookie Campaigns
Times Square Has been Transformed for Oreo's 100th Birthday
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46
Teaser TV Billboards
Teaser TV Billboards
A Giant Billboard for 'James M. McGill' Promotes the Breaking Bad Spinoff
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45
Gigantic Flip Flop Advertisements
Gigantic Flip Flop Advertisements
This Giant Billboard Delivers Its Message with a Real Kick
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44
Funny Talkative Billboards
Funny Talkative Billboards
Sprite's Bill the Billboard Soda Pop Ad Reminds You to 'Obey You'
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43
Watercolor Lingerie Ads
Watercolor Lingerie Ads
Alberto Seveso Blends Lingerie Models and Paint for Bustier's Ad Campaign
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42
Flight Simulation Billboards
Flight Simulation Billboards
This Travel Billboard from KLM Turns the Public into Pilots
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41
Air-Purifying Billboards
Air-Purifying Billboards
UTEC is Taking on Peru's Construction Pollution with Clever Advertising
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40
Sneaky Tweet-Revealed Ads
Sneaky Tweet-Revealed Ads
These Ads for the Isabel Marant H&M Collection Cleverly Use Twitter
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39
Live Travel Billboards
Live Travel Billboards
The Takeoff by Transavia Makes Its Advertisement Absolutely Unmissable
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38
Phone-Sized Shopping Ads
Phone-Sized Shopping Ads
Tesco's Mobile App Ad Presents Its App as the Tiniest Store Ever
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37
Construction Site Clothing Campaigns
Construction Site Clothing Campaigns
The David Beckham for H&M Bodywear Spring 2014 Ads Are Rugged
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36
Responsive GIF Ads
Responsive GIF Ads
These Netflix Movie Poster Ads Attract Pop Culture & Internet-Savvy People
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35
Bird Seed Billboards
Bird Seed Billboards
Nouvelle Soft's Toilet Paper Advertisement Has Nature Say Thanks
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34
Unmissable Targeted Ads
Unmissable Targeted Ads
Ogilvy & Mather Can't Avoid Intridea's Advertising Billboard
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33
Scary Poster Pranks
Scary Poster Pranks
This Amusement Park Promotion Advertises a Terrifying Ride in a Creepy Way
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32
Candy-Coated Fingernail Billboards
Candy-Coated Fingernail Billboards
These Candy Crush Nails are Insanely Extravagant
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31
Vertical Blind Billboards
Vertical Blind Billboards
McDonald's Bus Shelter Billboard Keeps People Cool with Shaded Blinds
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30
Distorted Beauty Billboards
Distorted Beauty Billboards
This Pola Apex Campaign Represents Imbalanced Skin Solutions
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29
Carefree Cityscape Campaigns
Carefree Cityscape Campaigns
The Lacoste 'Life is a Beautiful Sport' Spring 2014 Ads are Whimsical
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28
Interactive Hair-Blowing Subway Ads
Interactive Hair-Blowing Subway Ads
This Interactive Ad Recognizes When Trains are Coming & Reacts
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27
Starry Bioluminescent Billboards
Starry Bioluminescent Billboards
O2's Starry Billboard Celebrates the Samsung Galaxy S5 Launch
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26
Hoarding Auto Adverts
Hoarding Auto Adverts
The Honda Fit Billboard Showcases All the Items One Can Put in Their Car
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25
Real Dead Bunny Billboards
Real Dead Bunny Billboards
Hell Pizza is Advertising Easter Rabbit Pizza with Real Dead Rabbits
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24
Illuminating Child Abuse Ads
Illuminating Child Abuse Ads
This UNICEF Bulgaria Billboard Aims to End Violence Against Children
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23
Charitable Wheelchair Bicycles
Charitable Wheelchair Bicycles
The Heartbike Supports the Heart and Stroke Foundation Bike Ride
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22
Framed Snapshot Billboards
Framed Snapshot Billboards
A Camera-Shaped Ad Frames a Perfect Shot with the Canon EOS 1200D
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21
Mind-Controlled Gaming Billboards
Mind-Controlled Gaming Billboards
Mindpong Uses Interactive Billboard Advertising to Beat Cancer
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20
Fittingly Flexed Signage
Fittingly Flexed Signage
The Bent iPhone Billboard Makes Fun of an Imperfect Product
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19
Digital Billboard Art Galleries
Digital Billboard Art Galleries
'Stockholm Is Your Canvas' Allows Citizens to Display Personal Art
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18
Colossal Interactive Billboards
Colossal Interactive Billboards
Google's Giant Times Square Billboard Hosts an Android Game
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17
Terrifying Digital Billboards
Terrifying Digital Billboards
Sky Austria Promotes 'The Walking Dead' with Shocking Zombies
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16
Humanizing Homeless People Paintings
Humanizing Homeless People Paintings
These Murals by Depaul UK is a Show of Street Art Activism
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15
Edible Cake Billboards
Edible Cake Billboards
Mr Kipling Shows That 'Life is Better with Cake' by Sharing a Sweet Ad
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14
River Cleaning Billboards
River Cleaning Billboards
A Floating Water Purification Billboard is Making a Difference in Manila
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13
Slenderized Yogurt Cups
Slenderized Yogurt Cups
The New Activia Packaging Conveys Its Yogurt is a Slimming Snack
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12
Abandoned Chocolate Ads
Abandoned Chocolate Ads
This Kit Kat Ad Shows a Literal Take on the Brand's Slogan
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11
Pre-Packaged Communion Cups
Pre-Packaged Communion Cups
This Ergonomic Design Makes Wine and Bread Passing Less Complicated
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10
Violent Shadow Billboards
Violent Shadow Billboards
UNICEF's Domestic Violence Ad Takes on a Darker Tone at Night
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9
Colorfully Hidden Product Ads
Colorfully Hidden Product Ads
IKEA'a Products Are Almost Invisible in the 'Choose Color' Ads
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8
Interactive Shopping Signs
Interactive Shopping Signs
The Videotel System Helps Shop Owners Create Digital Signs
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7
Monthly Makeup Subscriptions
Monthly Makeup Subscriptions
e.l.f's Beauty Bundle Box Feaures New Beauty Products and Tools
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6
House-Converted Billboards
House-Converted Billboards
DesignDevelop Turns Ads into Shelters for the Homeless
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5
Interactive Avatar-Making Billboards
Interactive Avatar-Making Billboards
McDonald's Little Piccadilly is an Interactive Advertisement
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4
Grilled Food Fonts
Grilled Food Fonts
The Grillography Project Turns BBQ Food Into a Typeface
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3
Perspective Illusion Billboards
Perspective Illusion Billboards
Best FM's Interactive Poster Gets People to Shake Their Heads
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2
Storytelling Furniture Ads
Storytelling Furniture Ads
IKEA's Billboards Shows Scenarios for Leafing Through Its Catalog
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1
Sensually Silly Billboard Photography
Sensually Silly Billboard Photography
The American Apparel by Thomas Alleman Shows Ill-Fitted Ads
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