The Billboard Consortium

Out of the Closet Advertising

Billboard Savant — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 02:16:29 +0000

Let's get this straight people, same sex advertising isn't anything new...Love has been in the air for many, many years..in fact, early 20th century advertising depicts images of male-on-male intimacy. Suggestive teases of nudity and other contemporary marketing targeting the homosexual male became more mainstream in the 1920's when it began being seen in publications such as Life, Collier's & The Saturday Evening Post. If you ask a group of 20-year-olds what image comes to mind when they think of same sex advertising, most would probably say Calvin Klein billboards or make a quirky reference to Ellen DeGeneres. Liberace would be dancing in his grave to see just how far acceptance, awareness and pride has grown throughout the advertising industry over the last few decades and 2012 was no exception. America's superstore, JCPenny's decided to spice up their Father's Day catalog by featuring a real-life, same-sex couple having a playful moment with their children. As you can imagine, the backlash was immediate, but JCPenny's held firm to their advertising beliefs saying that they wanted to be a store for all Americans. Companies such as The Gap and Amazon Kindle continue to push the boundary of What Is "socially acceptable" advertising. What makes these companies so unique is that they're not afraid to depict the real lives of their everyday customer. Men and women have been doing it for years, and with each other. And, as long as there have been audiences, there have been advertising opportunities. Outdoor advertising does not discriminate. Want to see something that is sure to get your blood pumping? Click Here to Check out 16 of the Gayest Ads in History....that means like, forever in all time.......so you know they've got to be good.

The post Out of the Closet Advertising appeared first on The Billboard Consortium.

Barco Returns to Times Square for H&M

Billboard Savant — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 18:34:38 +0000

LED is Everywhere....and by Everywhere, we mean smack in the middle of the center of the universe, Time Square. Barco, a leader in the LED industry, is no newbie to the outdoor advertising world. In fact, Times Square has been home to their LED's for many years, working with brands such American Eagle Outfitters where they projected a 3D video show blasted across the 15,000 square foot multifaceted LED facade. Pretty attention grabbing. A spectacle in itself, indeed. And now.....a little birdie said that Barco has been awarded yet another contract in Times Square, working with H&M in supplying LED & indoor LCD. .....but only time will tell. That little birdie's keeping his eye out for more. I imagine Barco has great things in store for them and that they'll be entertaining and engaging audiences with their spectacles of light for many, many more years to come. Please check back for updates to this story.

The post Barco Returns to Times Square for H&M appeared first on The Billboard Consortium.

It’s Raining Meat, Jerky

Billboard Savant — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 13:43:23 +0000

What's better than a bright sunny day at the ballpark? Well, if you're a fan of premium dehydrated meats (and who isn't), perhaps the sudden appearance of thousands of packets of beef jerky parachuting towards you from the heavens would qualify as better, if not the best day imaginable! The folks at Jack Links made the dream come true for thousands who attended last week's "National Jerky Day" celebration in Omaha, Nebraska, and they even put together a quick video on how they made it all happen.

The post It’s Raining Meat, Jerky appeared first on The Billboard Consortium.

JCPenny Billboard a Major Fail

Billboard Savant — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 13:40:59 +0000

The chronically-suffering retailer took another giant leap backwards last week. In an attempt to promote designer Michael Graves, and his stylish new tea kettle (sold exclusively at JCPenney), the powers that be decided to hit the streets of California with outdoor creative that, to put it mildly, totally crapped the bed. And while it would be foolish to suggest that the artwork was intentionally meant to resemble one of the most hated faces in human history, the brand has none-the-less suffered some serious backlash for the failed effort, and has taken down all of the billboards in response to public outcry on Twitter, Facebook and numerous press outlets.

The post JCPenny Billboard a Major Fail appeared first on The Billboard Consortium.

Sony’s PS4 Teases Traffic with Digital

Billboard Savant — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 10:11:49 +0000

Sony's much anticipated PS4 recently launched to the delight of gamers the world over, especially for loyal fans of the console who haven't seen a major update since the Playstation3 was introduced back in 2006. In a move befitting the much-hyped launch, Sony enlisted Manning Gottlieb OMD to develop a digital OOH campaign for announcing the new PS4 to commuters in London, Manchester, Birmingham and Leeds. The result was spectacular, both in the selection of media, and in the use of day-parted creative to connect with drivers by serving up different messages for the morning and evening rush. Kudos to creative agency Drum and Lick for their execution!

The post Sony’s PS4 Teases Traffic with Digital appeared first on The Billboard Consortium.