Billboard facts for kids

A billboard is a very large sign that shows advertisements. You usually see them in busy places. This includes next to busy roads or in big market areas. Billboards display huge posters or other visual ads. They are designed to be seen by many people.

How Billboards Grab Your Attention

Billboards next to roads need to be noticed quickly. Drivers and passengers only see them for a few seconds. Because of this, they usually have only a few words. They often use a funny picture or a catchy phrase. For example, some fast-food companies use cartoon animals to make you laugh and remember their ad.

Different Kinds of Billboards

There are several types of billboards, each with a unique way to show ads.

Painted Billboards

Painted billboards were once very common. Artists would paint the ads by hand onto large pieces of paper. These papers were then put onto big panels. Cranes were used to lift and install these panels. Today, painted billboards are rare. Most are now made using computer graphics. However, you might still see a hand-painted one if only a single sign is needed.

Digital Billboards

Digital billboards use huge screens to show advertisements. These screens are like giant TVs. Some digital billboards can change their message often. This means many different ads can be shown on the same billboard throughout the day.

Mobile Billboards

Mobile billboards are signs that move around. Their goal is to go where their target audience is. For example, they might go to a big event or a busy part of town. Since they are less common, people tend to remember the ads they see on mobile billboards more easily.

Three-Dimensional Billboards

Three-dimensional billboards are a modern and exciting type of billboard. They often include parts that stick out from the flat sign. These parts can be sculptures or objects related to the ad. Because of their artistic design, they often grab a lot of attention and interest.

A Quick Look at Billboard History

Some of the first billboards appeared in the 1880s. In the early 1900s, more and more people in the U.S. started buying cars, like the Ford Model T. As car travel became popular, businesses began putting billboards along highways. This helped them reach many new customers who were driving by.

Related Pages

• Neon sign
• Poster
• Street furniture

Images for kids

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  A billboard mural saying "Before the law, all people are equal" fixed into place by a cooperative of artists along the approach road to Mogadishu International Airport

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  Digital billboards abound in Times Square, Manhattan.

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  Mobile billboard in East Coast Park, Singapore

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  A billboard for attachable paper ads near the market square in Seinäjoki, Finland

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  This is one of three contested billboards in the coastal zone of Humboldt Bay that were cut down by an unknown vandal in 2013.

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  Panoramic view of Los Angeles looking north from the Pacific Electric Building, ca. 1 January 1907

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  A billboard frame in Swindon, England

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  ATB Financial ad, Edmonton

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  Non-commercial advertisement is used around the world by governments and non-profit organisations to obtain donations, volunteer support or change consumer behavior. North Dakota, May 2004.

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  1908 billboard, Salt Lake City, Utah

See also

In Spanish: Valla publicitaria para niños