Billboards can be seen everywhere by thousands of people driving on the road but while they are an easy way to create large and very visible advertisements, they can also be easily ignored. Consumers see billboards all the time and they can begin to block them out if they are not paying attention or the advertisement is not especially eye-catching.

Some companies have begun using more creative outdoor campaigns that are certain to be noticed by anyone driving or walking past. Incorporating 3-D elements, video or simply working with the space they are in can make outdoor advertisements more effective at grabbing people’s attention. These are some examples of creative advertising campaigns.

1. Oreo’s Times Square Digital Boards

The classic cookie company, Oreo celebrated its 100th birthday by creating the “Wonderfilled campaign” with the Martin Agency. The ad agency was asked to create inspiring animations that were then shown using giant digital boards placed on buildings in Times Square. The screens were spread across different buildings with the animation extending to each board making it dynamic and a creative use of the space. Some boards reached all the way up the sides of towering New York skyscrapers and featured the colorful animation moving all the way down and jumping to different screens.

2. Formula Toothcare’s Torn Billboard Effect

Instead of making the usual 2-D billboard ad, Formula Toothcare managed to create the illusion of a person actually tearing the billboard apart. The billboard includes a photo of a man that appears as though he is ripping off the side of the board with his teeth. The actual metal frame of the billboard appears in the corner where the ad has been torn off making the effect look all the more real. The advertisement simply says “builds strong teeth” providing both a humorous and visually appealing market campaign.

3. iTunes’s 3-D Records Billboard

Another attention-grabbing billboard was created by iTunes and iPod that features hundreds of three dimensional records with famous album covers seemingly being poured into an iPod at the bottom of the ad. The billboard was unique and was able to get a clear message across without even using words- that the iPod can hold hundreds of albums. It was a way to for iTunes and iPod tell consumers what their product can offer them in a way they have never seen before.

4. Kill Bill Movie Billboard

Before Quentin Tarantino’s popular movie Kill Bill was released, an advertising agency employed some unusual techniques that were successful in getting people’s attention. The billboard included a photo of the main character played by Uma Thurman holding a sword with blood splatters extending out from the board across the wall and even hitting the sidewalk and nearby cars. This is type of advertisement is impossible to miss and could potentially be controversial but it did the job of getting people’s attention and providing a glimpse of what the movie would be like.

5. McDonald’s Sundial Billboard

The biggest fast food company in the U.S. has no lack of creative advertising campaigns. Their billboard promoting their breakfast menu was an innovative design which included a real sundial made out of their famous “M” logo. The M sundial cast a shadow over the billboard which included photos of breakfast food paired with each hour from 6am to 11am. The sun casts the shadow over each hour and each type of food you might order during breakfast time. This type of design succeeds in adding a three dimensional element and a function aspect to the billboard that can easily capture people’s interest.