The Fine Lines of Advertising

I love the nostalgic quality of billboards and how they only provide a brief moment to capture their audience's attention. Billboards are good old fashioned print design at its best. However, many designers miss their mark with billboards and either don't captivate attention in their moment of opportunity, or do capture it but leave viewers questioning the message as they drive by.

I love the concept and aesthetic cleanliness of Pom's recent ad campaign; however, one of their billboard designs has left me  feeling uneasy on several occasions, whiling driving North on 93. I personally feel that suicide and imagery of  a noose is a very heavy and touchy subject; a subject that is excessive when comparing it to the health benefits of a fruit juice. While Pom's goal was to present edgy marketing and to capture attention regardless of the viewer's emotion, Pom has gone overboard with this one.