On this episode of OOH Insider, Frank Petka, Producer of Billboard Boys, shares the story of three men’s determination to earn a home by living on a billboard.
During the 1980s recession, unemployment and mortgage rates were at a high. Billboard Boys, directed by Pat Taggart, is a documentary based on the radio contest turned international phenomenon in Allentown, PA. Three men were selected to live and outlast each other on a billboard in the hopes of winning a mobile home.
Takeaways
- The creative of the billboard these men stayed on promoted the radio station’s switch from country to big band music. Unfortunately, the creative and target audience did not bode well.
- This story went viral before viral was a thing. It began as a regional contest and quickly gained national, and even international, traction. For four months straight the media covered this story on every major tv station, radio station, and newspaper.
- If you have “lightning in a bottle” put a cap on it. The contest gained national media attention every day. This was a huge opportunity for brands to advertise in OOH, but no one could fast enough.
- “Billboards are timeless; the ultimate medium.” ~Frank Petka
Links
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/frank-j-petka-mba-73b756147/
- Film: https://billboardboys.com
Ways To Tune In
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/30yI5WJKPTmH1ttOT92stj
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-ooh-insider-show/id1483489943
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Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/the-ooh-insider-show
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Podbay: https://podbay.fm/p/the-ooh-insider-show