For a medium that is nothing more than a giant board atop a metal structure, billboards continue to impress with their seemingly endless flexibility. Of course, none of that impressive flexibility would be possible were it not for inventive creativity. Leo Burnett pleases us by proving to us that, yes, there still are new ideas floating around the minds of agency creatives.
While we can’t prove no one has ever before affixed a living thing to a billboard before, Leo Burnett’s placement of actual, growing lettuce on a billboard in Wrigleyville for McDonald which spells “Fresh Salad” is refreshingly original and, at the same time, simplistically succinct in conveying the intended message.
It’s unfortunate most agencies and marketers don’t realize the billboard medium is at its most powerful when it’s used for simple, direct messaging. Two to four words and a simple visual is about all the medium can take. Too many marketers and agencies try to cram the entire marketing plan onto a single 14 X 48 foot space which is usually seen for less than three seconds. For billboards, simplicity rules. In creating this McDonald’s billboard, Leo Burnett clearly understands this.
