Design perfect roadside ads | Clear Channel

How to Design the Perfect Roadside Ads

16 Nov 2021 / Insights
By Clear Channel UK View Author on Twitter
Billboard screen over busy road displaying yellow image with blue carton

If you're a small business just starting out, advertising can be difficult. You need to get your name out there and help people learn about your services, but when you don't have much of a platform, you may feel overwhelmed and intimidated by the task.This is where roadside ads come in. Advertising your business in a highly visible place where lots of people can see and learn about you is a great idea!

But the danger comes when you create a roadside ad that is poorly designed. You need the right kind of design to get the response that you want. A roadside ad that isn't well put together can end up doing your business more harm than good!

Don't worry, though. Just follow along! Here is how to design the perfect roadside ads.

Clarify Your Message

Before you do anything, you should know what kind of message you want to get across to your audience. Take some time to clarify this before thinking about your design. What do you want to tell the world about your business?

The best advertisements will resonate with their audience and evoke emotion from them. You can use your Out of Home advertising to tell a story about your business. Think about the kind of emotion you want to spark in people as it will make a big difference.

Roadside ads are very visual. Use that to your advantage. Think of different images and pictures that you can use to tell your story and get your message across.

Keep It Simple

Once you know what you want to say, it's time to cut it all down. Billboard advertising is all about simplicity.

Since your roadside ad will reach a lot of drivers, it's a good idea to make sure that your message is simple. Use as few words as possible. Seven words or fewer is a good benchmark to aim for.

When thinking about your visual layout, be sure that you don't use complex designs or lots of small images. You don't want your ad to look busy or crowded.

Instead, think about zooming in on smaller details. Narrow your focus. Consider what is at the heart of your business or service and zero in on that.

Adshel screen displaying B&Q image with nail, male cycling by

Use Big, Bold Font

The point of advertising is to promote your service. So, you need to make sure that people can figure out what your service is.

Your roadside ad should be easy to read, especially for drivers who only have a few seconds to see it. Make sure you think about the font you're using.

Avoid curly or complicated fonts that require lots of effort to make out. Instead, use bold, non-serif fonts. That way, people driving by can easily see what your product or service is.

This is also a good idea for bus advertising, both on bus shelters and moving buses. Because buses are always moving, passersby will only have a few seconds to see your ad, so they'll need to be able to get a good look at it in those seconds.

Use Bright Colours

Another thing to consider for your roadside ad is the colour. Advertising is all about getting peoples' attention. You'll want to be bold and make sure people catch sight of your ad.

This is not the time for subtlety. With outdoor advertising, you need grab ahold of your audience right away. And a great way to do that is through the use of bright, vivid colours.

You'll want to use strong contrast to make your words and images clearly stand out. You should also think about the background of your ad and make sure that the colours you choose don't blend in. Your advertisement should pop!

If you have brand colours for your business, now is a perfect time to use them. You can also look into colour theory to make sure that you don't choose colours that may clash. It can also help you decide on colours that evoke the right kind of emotions for your ad.

Billboard image displaying woman on a car, text saying 'Say goodbye to buying'

Location, Location, Location

You may have heard of the ever-popular chant, "location, location, location". And it's popular for a reason! Location is absolutely essential to the success of your roadside ad.

Make sure that your design is easy to see from all areas. If people can't see it, that defeats the purpose of your ad.

Where your ad is posted will also heavily affect the design. For example, a supermarket advertisement where people can pause and thoroughly read the poster will likely have a different design than a street billboard.

Take your target audience into account. What kinds of areas would they frequent? Once you consider that, you can try to place your roadside ad in or near those areas.

For example, if you sell sportswear, you can place your advertisement in areas where potential customers are likely to see it. That means gyms, sports stadiums and fields, and more.

You can also use your location to your advantage when designing your advertisement. The angles of certain shadows or sunshine as well as the backdrop for your billboard can all be elements of its design.

Get Creative!

Above all, your roadside ad needs to be memorable. Think about designs that you can create that aren't just contained within a simple rectangle. Use the surroundings to elevate it.

There are even ways that you can make it interactive. Digital advertising offers a lot of opportunities for this. You can use VFX techniques and other kinds of video editing styles to make your advertisement stand out.

You want your roadside ad to be unique. It should stick out from the crowd, high above the competition. A creative and innovative ad will do wonders for your business!

Include a Call to Action

There should be a way for your audience and potential customers to take action once they've seen your advertisement. This is especially important for street advertising.

It doesn't have to be long - remember, you don't want to use many words! Instead, you can include an email address, phone number, or website URL. Even a logo or the simple name of your business is important to include.

No matter how engaging and well-designed your roadside ad is, you won't get any customers if they don't know how to approach you. Make sure you give them a way to take action!

Learn More About Business Advertising

The right design for your roadside ads will make all the difference. If you follow these simple tips, you'll have an advertisement that will get your business booming!

Contact us to learn more about advertising!