The Wonderful World of Local Advertising
Some of the best copywriters don't work at ad agencies.
What do you do when your business is so small you don’t have an ad budget? You get really—desperately—creative. Desperation often spawns greatness. Or at least, very goodness. Over the last 15+ years, I’ve collected a mess of local ads and taglines and such. These are the best of the bunch. Mediums include a matchbook, bathroom stall wall, and septic tank trucks.
1. Houston
Lotta taco trucks circling the Houston metro area. How do you stand out? This is how. Nice artwork, too.
2. Atlanta
A Bar in Atlanta (Is it still there?). Gotta have matchbooks available (or at least, you used to have to). Might as well get some branding done. ALWAYS BE BRANDING.
3. Alabama
To the ShitVertising. Reliable Septic Service, Gardendale. Scare-quotation marks aside, The word-play is straining itself hard, like many of us when we’re on the commode.
4. Lagos, Nigeria
More ShitVertising via Nigeria. Mr. Gadaffi is not kidding around here with the above interactive billboard. I say “interactive” because I assume those are working port-o-shitters that anyone can climb up to and do their "business”. I’m OK with the quotation marks here because I can almost see Otunba saying this to me.
Below: Not an appetizing copy line (and “bread” should be capitalized) but Mr. Gadaffi ain’t in business to make you hungry, just to deal with the aftermath. And he understands the importance of tagline consistency across all media. Images via Looking For Good In Lagos.
5. North Carolina
Bathroom stall “installation” ad for a local herb shop.
Media cost: $0. Production cost: ≈$0.
6. Tel Aviv
An ESL entrepreneur gets an ‘A’ for copywriting, ‘D’ for art direction. Jesus F’ing Christ, black type on white background ALWAYS.
7. Seattle
In-store POP (Point-Of-Purchase) poster of newborns next to the huge burritos of Gorditos (according to reddit) Mexican restaurant. This is brilliant. But: they should have sprung for a good food photographer.
8. Arizona
Yes a Unicorn humping a Dolphin, for tattoo shop Magic Fun Store in Tucson.
9. Florida
Lastly, we’ve got multi-award-winning comedian and juggler “Slim Chance” for Surplus Sales in Hudson FLA. I don’t get the scary baby face, but it works with Slim.
*all images via reddit or imgur unless otherwise noted.