Before you hire a billboard sign designer, you may want to do a bit of research yourself to see what type of ads you are most drawn to. Begin by paying attention to the oversized signs in your local area, but also pop online for billboard sign design inspiration. While billboards have been around since the 1830s, they have evolved greatly over the years and continue to reinvent themselves. Here are a few alternatives to consider other than the standard printed vinyl roadway sign.

Oversized But Not A Billboard

Standard billboards are typically 14 feet from top to bottom, 48 feet wide, and mounted at varying overhead heights—most often on a steel pole or to the side of a building. However, space is limited so consider rented ad space that is oversized but not quite a traditional billboard.

For example, many apartment buildings mount small steel frames on their rooftops in cities like New York and Chicago and rent out ad space that can only be seen by those riding the train. These signs are still large and impactful, so a worthy option to consider.

Or the digital roadway or entrance signs placed outside of churches, stadiums, and arenas that post text, images, videos, and fun 3D graphics. These signs are most often utilized for a mix of promotional ads, event schedules, and community communication.

Horizontal Or Vertical

As you search online for billboard sign design inspiration, you’ll find that a horizontal rectangle is no longer your only option. An increasing number of oversized signs are being mounted vertically. This is often due to space constraints, but may be a creative strategy to mix things up and ensure the sign stands out. So, be sure to confirm where you’ll be renting before your designer starts working on your custom sign.

Layered Or Side By Side

Highway billboards often mount one billboard per frame, but signs mounted on buildings can be layered horizontally or vertically—like in Times Square. However, you’ll find an increasing number of oversized signs in rural and mid-sized areas taking a multi-sign approach.

This might include posting 3 frames staggered or side by side so that a brand can rent out all 3 to create a cohesive series of messages. Drivers won’t be able to take their eyes away from the road for long, but a double or triple sign allows for a bit more creativity in your messaging.

3D Or Designed Outside Of The Frame

Be sure to browse through the images section in Google when looking for billboard sign design inspiration. While many brands continue to choose the standard printed vinyl sign, you’ll find far more billboards made with mixed materials.

For example, Target once had a billboard that had a mirror-like reflective finish. Or the Coca-Cola billboard that extends beyond the rectangular frame and has oversized faux-straws coming out of the bottle.

It will cost more to go 3D or outside of the frame as it’s both an ad and a work of art.

Print Or Digital

With their grand size and scale, print billboards won’t be going anywhere soon. However, digital billboards are attracting more attention. Currently, there are 343,000 print billboards in the US and 9,600 LED billboards. This means there are about 1,000 new LED billboards per year. This only counts LED signs that are at least 36 feet wide. If all LED signs are counted the number would be far greater.

Digital signs have many advantages, including:

• The ability to post text, images, videos, and motion graphics.
• Increased visibility during both the day and when pitch black outside.
• The ability to alternate between a variety of ads and messages.
• Pre-scheduling ads and messages by time of day or day of the week.
• The ability to update the sign in real-time with remote software.

Promotional Or Monetized

As a business owner, your initial intention may be to rent out ad space on a pre-existing billboard—but that’s far from your only option. Be strategic and consider having your own billboard or oversized sign designed and mounted at your entrance, along your primary roadway, or on the side of your building. Or see if you can rent a space to add a billboard in a strategic offsite location.

If it’s a digital sign, or your building has the room to mount more than one sign, also consider monetizing your sign by renting out ad space to local businesses. You can post your ads too but charge your renters per impression for their ads. If monetizing’s not your thing, you can post both community messages and ads to connect and engage beyond promotions. Maybe even donate ad space to local schools or non-profits.

Tell A Story

What you’ll find as you continue to browse online for billboard sign design inspiration is that every billboard tells a story. The goal is to instantly engage and elicit emotion from those who drive by. Many printed signs do this with a bit of humor, utilizing short and sweet text and powerful imagery.

Digital signs tell a story too, but in addition to the ability to alternate signs, you can be far more creative by taking advantage of the multi-media features. For example, don’t just share an ad for your hotel that’s off the exit, share a photo slide show of your rooms and top amenities. Or a 360-degree view of a car for sale at your dealership.

If your audience is a bit more captive, such as a digital billboard on a rooftop at a train stop, share a video tour of your spa, restaurant, or real estate listing.

Want To Learn More About Digital Signs?

If your online search for billboard sign design inspiration leaves you wanting to learn more about having a custom LED sign built, we invite you to reach out to Mega LED Technology.

Billboards aren’t your only option, as you can order your sign in any square or rectangular size. Not to worry about the electronics, as our signs are temperature tested in environmental chttps://www.megasigninc.com/omega-monument-signs/hambers for heat exceeding 160 Fahrenheit, and as low as -40 Fahrenheit. We also have thousands of signs in every temperature in North America. Let’s get started!