Exploding Billboards Make For Innovative Marketing

This remarkable billboard was designed for a courier company. To underscore the importance of sticking to a deadline, the billboard, in a busy part of Auckland, was rigged to explode at a particular time.

A countdown was posted, with the note, "This message will self-destruct in exactly . . ." so that regular passers-by would know when to watch for the big event. In addition, interested people could watch streaming video of the countdown and the resulting explosion online.

The billboard garnered lots of media coverage and word-of-mouth buzz around New Zealand, and thousands of people gathered in person to watch the billboard explode. With the online viewers added, it was seen by over a million people.

The courier company's motto is "When Deadline Couriers gives you a time, they actually mean it." The billboard cost only $20,000 NZD to produce, which is relatively cost-effective for the courier company's only marketing method.

What do you think of this billboard? Would it make you pay attention?

Sources:
Ads of the World
Scoop