Marketers constantly face a challenge to be both strategic and creative. It can be difficult to define the target market and then work out how to set your message apart from the thousands of competing messages. Sure, we all know how effective Super Bowl ads and social media can be, but don’t forget about the old-fashioned kinds of promotion, too.
For example, the simple bus or transit shelter makes a great place to build awareness and a lasting impression. Bus shelters are ubiquitous – they can found in almost every market in the world. Outdoor advertising delivers great visibility at a low price per impression. Transit displays don’t have to be boring – in fact, they are more creative than every thanks to the use of technology.
The displays can be three-dimensional, colorful, and interactive with the audience. And, since they are available 24/7 they cannot be turned off or ignored. No zip, zap, or mute. The large displays are seen by thousands of transit riders, pedestrians, and drivers. And, since most people take the same route to work every day, the ads are seen multiple times per person, helping to build awareness.
Look around on your next drive to stroll through town. What do you see?
Group Activities and Discussion Questions:
- Discuss the role of outdoor (and out-of-home) advertising.
- Poll students: What bus shelters do they remember seeing in the past few days?
- Show these bus stop ads:
http://www.adweek.com/creativity/20-clever-bus-shelter-ads-brighten-your-travels-133561/
- Additional, interactive bus shelters:
- Divide students into teams. Have each team design a bus shelter for a product of their choice. This can either be a fast in-class project, or a longer take-home project in teams.
- Have each team show their bus shelter display.
- Additional work: Have students research the costs of transit shelter displays in various markets.
Source: Ad Week
