The Economist: The Lightbulb Billboard

Brand

The Economist

Market

Global

Year

2004

Category

Billboards & OOH

Agency or team

AMV BBDO, London

Channels

Interactive billboard

The context

The Economist’s red-and-white poster campaign had long sold the magazine as the source of smart ideas. The challenge was to keep a famous format surprising.

The move

Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO installed a red billboard in London with a real oversized bulb, wired to a motion sensor. Passers-by triggered it: an idea, literally switching on.

How it was executed

1. Installed a giant real lightbulb on a red billboard.
2. Connected it to a motion sensor so it lit as people walked beneath it.
3. Let the interaction carry the message, with almost no copy.

A billboard with a single giant lightbulb that switched on whenever someone walked beneath it.

What happened Reported facts

The site became one of the most-cited examples of interactive outdoor advertising, and reinforced a long-running campaign rather than replacing it.

Why it worked Maer’s analysis

An idea literally switched on above your head. It extended a long-running red-and-white campaign instead of replacing it.

What to take from it Maer’s analysis

1. 01One idea, executed physically, beats copy.
2. 02Interactive outdoor works when the interaction is the message.
3. 03Distinctive assets (red, white, wit) let you take risks.

Where Maer applies this

The same thinking runs through these brand templates:

Sources: AMV BBDO; trade press coverage. Figures are as publicly reported; Maer Media was not involved in this work and is not affiliated with The Economist.