Mobile billboards have many advantages that have turned them into a favorite among advertisers. With loads of possibilities for creative and a unique way to present those formats, mobile billboards show great promise post-pandemic.
If you have been wondering about this type of advertising, we’ve put together a guide to making a mobile billboard buy, including why this is a smart form of branding.
What Is a Mobile Billboard?
Mobile Billboards come in Three Types:
- Box Trucks with LED screens
- Truck with Static Vinyl
- Scooters Advertising Pulling a Small Billboard
Mobile Billboards (Box Truck Types) with LED Screens
The most common mobile billboard is the box truck version with led screens on all sides. They show your message to drivers, pedestrians and people in nearby buildings. You can park the box truck in a central location, where it remains visible. Mobile billboards are also often times called billboard trucks or mobile advertising truck.
Mobile Billboard Truck with Static Vinyl
These types of mobile billboards are older and less frequently used in recent years. These are a single billboard that sits on a trailer. Typically you see these in Las Vegas on the strip, driving up and down promoting shows and clubs..
Scooters Pulling a Small Billboard
These are probably the least popular variation of mobile billboards, mostly due to their size and availability.
What are the Advantages of Mobile Billboards
The medium offers flexibility. Mobile billboards can zigzag across the city, or they can target a carefully geotargeted area where your target demographic resides or drives. Trucks may need to stay on the move all day or drive off after carefully planned 15-minute breaks, depending on the regulations in your location.
Where Can You Buy Mobile Billboards?
Mobile billboards (box truck type) are available in virtually any market, though you have greater availability and options in larger markets, obviously. Still, mobile billboards get deployed more often in big markets, so a mobile billboard will stand out in a small market.
Depending on the market, you may find differences in how long you can rent the vehicle or where you can park. The vendor should take care of any necessary permits and finding a location to park the vehicle. Vendors also ensure the size and presentation of the billboard meet city regulations, so you won’t get in trouble for having something too tall.
What Categories Work for Mobile Billboard Advertising?
- Events and pop-up stores.
- Limited Billboard Budgets
- High Traffic Areas
- Areas
Creative Options for Mobile Billboards
Mobile billboards include options similar to regular billboards. You can choose a static or digital one
And the possibilities go much further. You can purchase an illuminated mobile billboard that shines at night or create a three-dimensional billboard. Some even have interactive elements, like a TV screen where passersby can stop and play a video game. Others have a spot for someone to sit or stand with the display (not while it’s moving, though — that’s dangerous).
For something even more eye-catching, and more expensive, advertisers can rent a fleet of mobile billboards and send them around an urban or suburban area. Seeing one mobile billboard elicits a reaction, and seeing more than one can lead to that all-important posting on Instagram (“Look what just drove past me!”), which leads to added reach for the campaign.
Playing music with the mobile billboard draws immediate attention from everyone outside, too. This has become a very popular way of advertising. You can even play a music video on a digital screen on the mobile billboard.
How Much Do Mobile Billboards Cost?
Below is a breakdown for Mobile Billboard Prices in major markets
| Market | Average Mobile Billboard Price |
| Los Angeles | $1,750 |
| New York | $2,000 |
| Miami | $1,250 |
| Chicago | $1,400 |
| Seattle | $1,500 |
| Nashville | $1,050 |
Mobile Billboard Examples
Here are several examples of Mobile Billboards that we have done over the last few years. In markets like Miami, New York, San Francisco, San Diego and more.
