What makes an effective truckside ad campaign? Well, there’s really no right answer. Valuable impressions can be garnered from a lesser creative ad, while a more creative ad may not lead consumers to the point of sales. However, well-targeted, differentiated truckside ads always generate conversation leading to action. While it stands true that outdoor mobile billboards have a 97% recall rate, according to Outdoor Advertising Magazine, not every mobile billboard will be effective at reaching the right people.
It’s important to remember that a solid truckside advertising campaign must drive through or around an area that the mobile message speaks to. The ad must also mean something for the potential consumer; it has to leave a bit of an impact. It’s true that legal practices, non-for-profits, real estate, and other fields relating to that carry out more informational ads that stray from creative risks. But, their mobile target is only looking for quick information and brand awareness in order to get involved. Larger brands with a well-known reputation usually put out more creative truckside ads that are more willing to make another bold impression.
Let’s take a look at how some well-known companies used truckside advertising to effectively display their messages to their select targets. The beauty of truckside advertising campaigns is that they’re mobile, constantly changing, and catch people by surprise in an outdoor setting. Effective truckside advertising makes history.
FedEx “Always First” Campaign
Relying on visual humour and their unique selling proposition (USP), FedEx carried out a very memorable truckside ad campaign that reminded people to choose FedEx for all their delivery needs. The ability to tell a quick story is what really makes this truckside ad all the more effective. Making it appear like the FedEx vehicle is speeding ahead of the DHL looking truck behind it, all on the same mobile billboard, is an inventive way of saying that FedEx is the leading competitors, the one to beat.
The simple tagline “Always First”, with an address below, is all that’s needed in writing to communicate the message beautifully. Since the graphics are so strong, FedEx knew not to go above and beyond with their copy. The way the DHL-like van is painted at the rear of the truck, behind FedEx, is ingenious because it signifies the first place delivery speed of a FedEx vehicle. This competitively cheeky truckside ad shows brand superiority without managing to explicitly diss their delivery rival. This campaign is effective because it dangles the competition in front of people’s eyes in a matter-of-factly, clever way.
Mentos Ambient Ad
This colorful and delightful truckside ad done by Cossette agency gave consumers a 3D taste of Mentos gum in Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver. Depending on the element of surprise, this truckside ad included a rear end opening of balloons resembling the gum product pouring out onto the streets. This is effective because it’s not just a pretty picture of the product on the sides of the truck; it’s more than that. By having balloons spill onto the road for consumers to immediately pay attention to brings awareness to Mentos in an out-of-the-box way. This is an exciting way to showcase a product because it turns an uninteresting, generic truck into a circus routine. The red fruit color of the gum matches the color of the balloons, which only drives home their product differentiation. This ambient truckside ad is independently an outdoor gem.
Transito Amigo Wheelchair Truck
Transito Amigo, a public service aimed at preventing transit casualties in Brazil, created a truckside campaign that immediately told the story of personal injury by drinking and driving. The creative brief saw that young Brazilians are in the market for purchasing their first cars, so why not have a campaign aimed at highlighting one of the consequences of making the wrong driving decision. On November 21, the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, a car carrier truck road through Sao Paulo picking up hundreds of impressions. Replacing ordinary bus seats with wheelchairs on a double decker type vehicle reminded Brazilians of the dangers of choosing to mix alcohol with getting behind the driver’s seat. Transito Amigo effectively told the story of accidents and paralyzation to happen if you mix the two. This creative campaign, lasting a day, hit people where it hurt by displaying arresting imagery on a normal VW truck on the date of remembrance.
