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Outdoor ads with divine inspiration

By Sheila Hayes

Motorists and pedestrians are stopping in their tracks at the sight of messages from God on highways and buses in Broward County, FL. And soon, the word will be taken nationwide.

The campaign idea first came about when a client, insisting on anonymity, approached Ft. Lauderdale, FL-based The Smith Agency to develop a campaign promoting God. The Smith Agency crafted 18 separate messages on southern Florida billboards and buses as part of the campaign, which launched in September 1998 and ran through November. The campaign continues to garner attention from the public and from many notable figures, such as news anchors Dan Rather and Peter Jennings, as well as Advertising Age magazine, CNN and NPR.

To help give this campaign a nationwide audience, the OAAA is partnering with The Smith Agency to take God's show on the road. With the help of OAAA members, The Smith Agency hopes to get production and space for another phase of the campaign. Artwork is being developed for virtually all types of out-of-home advertising, including eight-sheets, 30-sheets, vinyl bulletins, shelters and transit.

The non-denominational campaign targets people who no longer attend church on a regular basis. And although the messages take their cue from the 10 Commandments, they have a decidedly modern twist. Take a look at the signs on these pages for some divine inspiration.