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(AdQuick)
New York is one of the most iconic cities in the country. When you think about it, the first thing that might come to mind is Times Square, which features more advertisements than you can wrap your head around. Well-known brands like American Eagle and Coca-Cola have boasted massive billboards there through LED digital displays.
One of the most wonderful things about New York billboards is the sheer number of people who see them daily; if your company does it right, the benefits of having a billboard in this highly-populous city are endless. While there’s no shortage of billboards in the city, a handful have stood out from the rest over the past few decades. Let’s get started.
Mini Cooper
In 2011, Mini Cooper wanted to make a splash in a big way with their new four-door car called the Countryman. There could have been many ways to do this, but they went to the next level with creativity. The ad featured a bright red Countryman on the billboard itself to make it seem like it was driving in the snow. The ad nearly took up four billboards worth of space, so you can only imagine what it cost.
The billboard was put up close to the holidays, so it fit the cold weather they had during that time. It was definitely eye-catching, and that wasn’t the only stunt they pulled that season. It’s said that earlier in the season, they also displayed a massive snow globe with a Countryman inside it. New York billboards have to catch your eye to go viral or make an impact, and with the city’s constant movement, Mini Cooper did a fantastic job standing out.
Calvin Klein
Calvin Klein has had a couple of famous billboards and advertisements throughout the years—a couple of specific ones likely popped into your head as you read this. The brand is great at creating a moment between two people, like its iconic ad campaign with Mark Wahlberg and Kate Moss.
It came out at a time when both Wahlberg and Moss were at the height of their popularity. The pairing seemed perfect, and the ad’s viewers couldn’t get enough. Of course, not everyone loved it, but that only caused people to discuss it further.
Calvin Klein has had multiple billboards pop up in New York, so you can pick any one of them to put on this list, but the Wahlberg-Moss campaign tops ours. It was released in 1992 and is still considered iconic to many people, as it’ll go down in New York billboard history.
Got Milk?
Even if you’re not old enough to remember “Got Milk?” ads when they were first released, you’ve still likely seen one online. “Got Milk?” has ads with nearly every celebrity, and many of them have blown up. This one in particular from 2007 featured two celebrities: Beyoncé and Tina Knowles. Beyoncé was already a big star at the time, but this even further catapulted her while captivating viewers all at once.
DKNY
DKNY (Donna Karan New York), a fashion house for men and women founded in 1984, is a New York Staple that you may remember seeing often. The billboard was in the city from 1992–2009; not many billboards can stand the test of time like that, solidifying how iconic it was. This New York billboard has been seen in countless movies and TV shows and will be remembered forever.
Conclusion
From Mini Cooper to DKNY and everything in between, New York is home to some of the most iconic billboards that other cities simply can’t compete with. While Times Square is an advertising mecca, plenty of other places around the city could boost your company’s customer base. Deciding where you want to locate your advertisement is only one part of the puzzle—you have to consider the design, type, and more.
While it’s important to determine these factors for your own business, don’t forget to take a look at some of the past billboards in New York. Do your research and take some inspiration from some of the best to have ever done it. What do you deem as the best New York billboards over the past few decades?
