Meadow Blog

Typography is one of the most difficult elements of a billboard design to get right. But it’s so crucial to the design because that is what ultimately communicates the client’s message. A billboard’s typography needs to be readable, but that is just getting over the bar for what billboard artwork should be. The best billboard artwork uses typography in unexpected ways and sometimes even breaks the industry mold.

Billboard artwork can take a lot of time effort, and expertise to create, but the end result is always so satisfying. Now that the third quarter of 2024 is over, let’s look back at the top 10 best displays!

To follow the brand guidelines or not to follow, that is the question. Brand guidelines can give graphic designers a solid starting point and sometimes even inspiration. Other times they are not well thought out, can be unnecessarily limiting, and can hamstring an innovative design.

In an era when hand-painted billboard advertisements reigned supreme, billboard artists laid out their work using a pattern transfer technique called “pouncing.”  Pounce patterns were well-known to Renaissance artists like Michelangelo. Sign painters, muralists, fine artists, embroiderers, and quilters still use this method in their work today.

Nestled in the lush forests near Salem, Oregon, the Enchanted Forest Theme Park is a whimsical destination that has delighted visitors since 1971. Designed by Roger Tofte and voted Newsweek's Best Family-Owned Amusement Park in 2024, this roadside venue offers a unique blend of fairy tale charm, thrilling rides, and engaging attractions that make it a must-visit for families and adventure seekers alike.

Finding your target customer is crucial in every area of marketing. For example, when your billboard advertisement does not reach your target market it will not be successful. Roy H. Williams in his book Wizard of Ads’, on page 25 questions this piece of industry wisdom.

Before the age of AI design and the room-sized large-format printers that produce printed vinyl wraps used in outdoor advertising today, specialized artists hand-painted billboard ads one at a time. This art form required high skill and creativity, as artists had to paint large advertisements directly onto transportable panels, billboard structures, or walls. Meadow Outdoor Advertising hand-painted many of its designs into the early twenty-first century.

At Meadow Outdoor we believe that we are part of a community and have a responsibility to give back when we can. The most common way Meadow contributes to the local community is through what we call gratis advertising. This free advertising is for non-profits, charities, or local events that encourage relationships, and commerce in our area. Meadow has been providing lots of gratis advertising this summer, let’s take a look at what’s been going on in the community!

Billboards need high contrast to make an impact. The images need to contrast, and the copy needs to contrast with its background. But also, the entire billboard needs to contrast with its surroundings. Billboards have physical locations that are each unique, and to make the best impression, the billboard will need to contrast with its environment. So how as billboard artists do we ensure that happens?

Meadow produces a lot of great billboard artwork every quarter and our clients send us lots of great stuff too. We wanted to give a special shoutout to the outstanding pieces that deserve a little extra attention!