Everyone has seen plenty of billboards in their travels, unless their country outlaws them. In fact, the number of billboards along our US highways is, to some, an eyesore. In some areas this is probably true. Yet, often, the billboards provide valuable information for travelers.

Yes, billboards are an effective means of advertising, but they have at least two major problems. First, the ad awaits the motorist to drive by. It is stationary and, if no one comes that way, the message is a waste of money. Second, the standard billboard can't do anything to attract attention. It is lifeless, and, with the competition of other billboards, might be totally ignored.

To retain the advantage of a billboard yet overcome these two obstacles, someone came up with the concept of a portable billboard. It has the size and colors found in a stationary billboard, but it actually moves to populous areas. This uniqueness almost demands it be read. All display a message on the side of a truck (referred to as truckside advertising) or trailer and then are driven into the target area to be read.

The simplest and least expensive portable billboard is to rent the sides and back of a truck that will use these portable surfaces to display your ad. It is even possible to share the truck with other companies, posting a different message on the left and right sides and on the back for the agreed upon length of time. The truck carries your ad wherever it goes. If it is attention grabbing, people waiting in traffic or seeing it in a parking area will naturally read it.

If you don't mind paying more, you can rent a changing ad. One version is similar to the vertical three sided changing billboards. The ad is attached piece by piece to one side of these vertical prism shaped sticks.  As they rotate, the next of the three pictures or messages will appear, almost instantly. They are excellent attention getters. Trucks or trailers equipped with smaller versions of this display travel through traffic as the message on the sides and back changes every ten or fifteen seconds. The uniqueness of this attracts attention and the messages are seldom ignored.

A second method of changing the message on the truck or trailer is through roller banners. A timer activates a motor and, almost instantly, the roller moves the material vertically, displaying another message. This is similar to what is seen at the stats tables of a basketball game. A firm selling such 10' by 10' trailers claims ten messages can be stored on one roll, and, of course, a different roll can be on the back and other side. The message boards are covered with tempered glass for protection. Some also contain internal lighting, allowing for nighttime effectiveness.

The most expensive method of portable billboard message changing is through electronics. The side of the truck or trailer is fitted with a myriad of lights that can be programmed to display multi-colored messages. No printed message is ever made; the design and display are done by the computer.

No matter which method you choose, your ad has the boost of being brought to the populated areas. This increases its effectiveness and allows for mass visual advertising of goods or services not applicable to highway travelers.

AirSign, which also offers aerial advertising, provides effective mobile billboard advertising services to clients across the States. View their services now.