Viral
As I was driving away from San Francisco this past weekend, I was intrigued by these billboard signs advertising nothing in particular. I spotted three of them on the freeway and they all follow the same template: a plain white background with the word “you” written in different types.
The design itself is really simple. Just one word written on the left side of a blank canvas (a play on balance that makes it even more interesting). What made me want to pull out my camera and take pictures was the sense of viral advertising that I got from the ads. I wanted to know more about what they were advertising but there was little to take away from what was presented. I could only go so far with googling “you billboards.”
I think the advertisement succeeded in creating interest and claiming the attention of the many drivers trying to get onto the Bay Bridge. Good design should be able to pique one’s interest and stimulate the imagination. This ad definitely accomplished that since I was left with theorizing what could the product be. Maybe it was an advertisement of me, after all.
Where it failed, is the lack of information they presented. Good design can be a very useful communication tool. This ad had no website I could go to, or even a specific word I could Google. Maybe the omission of such vital information was part of the designer’s plan, of this I wouldn’t know. But as of right now, a week later, I am still left wondering what the billboard could mean.
