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Billboards are an effective means of getting a message to multitudes of people. It’s no wonder they remain an essential part of a variety of marketing campaigns. And now, thanks to technology, they frequently incorporate an interactive element. From cyber crime to public and environmental health, interactive, “live” signage encourages public involvement.

For example, in Peru, a natural gas company ran a campaign using pollution from passing cars to reveal a billboard message. Through integrating a device into the billboard, the company was able to gather pollutants from the air and transform them from gas to powder. They then where able to use this new powder to spell out ‘Me cuesta mucho respirar’, translating to ‘I am finding it very difficult to breathe’. Another example is a UK insurance company who used an interactive billboard campaign to warn small businesses of the need for strong cybersecurity. To power the billboard, they set up a set of servers similar to those many small businesses use. Called honeypot servers, the activity within them was reflected on the billboard’s digital headline. It read, ‘Every Pulsing Dot Represents a Cyber Attack’. Additionally, the billboards also featured a ticker to track the number of attacks.

Recently, in a more mouthwatering style, HarperCollins and MediaCom worked together to launch the BOSH! cookbook with a scented bus shelter. The food blogging duo behind BOSH! TV put many of their most popular recipes in their all vegetable vegan cookbook. Located on London’s busy Tottenham Court Road, the bus shelter design aims to entice commuters while they are on their way home. Furthermore, the MediaCom team said they chose one of the general public’s hungriest moments as the target for the campaign. The ad features sweet-smelling chocolate fudge cake, chosen specifically to encourage the public to give a vegan diet a try. How else can sensory stimulation be used in creative campaigning?