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Dumb Clients? Clueless Agencies? Pick One...Or Both.

The mind reels and the eyes spin after a 1,000 mile cross-country drive.  Why?

Not for the traffic jams caused by Illinois' mind-numbingly stupid decision to waste "stimulus" dollars repaving an already perfectly-smooth I-55 from St. Louis to Joliet.  You expect idiocy from Illinois politicians.  And the paving contractor is probably some pol's brother-in-law.

No, my allergic reaction stems more from the astounding numbers of bad, really, truly, horribly, miserably, wretched billboards devoted to hospital marketing messages.  C'mon people.  What are you THINKING?

Dumb clients?  Clueless agencies?  One has to wonder.

Copy that rambles on...and on...and on.   Can't ANYBODY get to the POINT in 6 words or less?

Colors that wash out in the sun...and under sodium vapor lights...and at dawn...and dusk.  Isn't someone paying for these things DRIVING THE BOARD once in a while?

Acronyms and buzzwords. Do you REALLY think a billboard is the place to be telling the masses about your smashing new EMR or your performance improvement activities?  Really?  Sorry, at 75 mph, when I see "PI" I think Magnum, not readmission rates.

Confusing names. "The Blah-Blah Institute at South MegaPlex Hospital & Medical Center's North Main Street Pavilion."  All I get is "..Blah-Blah..."  All I care about is...well, I don't care.  I passed caring 10 miles ago.

What's that you say?  Cross-country drivers aren't really your intended audience?  You're going after the locals?  Yeah, maybe, but you're paying for BOTH.  And you're reaching neither.

Next time I'm flying.  Whatever's in American Airlines' seat-back pockets has to be easier on my eyes than what adjoins our interstate highways, though undoubtedly less rant-worthy.  On second thought, who am I kidding?


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Comments

Chris Bevolo said…
Great rant, Steve. I linked to your post on my blog so others can share in the pain.

One funny note: when I came back to your blog, I saw this in your GoogleAds:

"Billboard Advertising
Find billboards anywhere in the USA with a no-charge proposal."

Maybe that's what's behind all the crappy outdoor!

: )
July 27, 2010 at 6:07 PM
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