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This article was originally published in May 2024, and has since been updated with new information
The first billboard ads date back to 1835 when Jared Bell debuted 50-foot-high placards to advertise the Barnum & Bailey Circus in New York.
After nearly two centuries, giant posters remain popular among marketers, and as 2024 has shown so far, billboards still get people talking, even if it’s for the wrong reasons.
In 2024 posters from Bumble, Calvin Klein and Swehl have stoked controversy and headlines.
Stephanie Gutnik, global chief strategy officer at out-of-home (OOH) provider Billups, is no stranger to the medium’s power. She was recently part of the team behind an ad for the Los Angeles-based nonprofit AIDS Healthcare Foundation that got Coachella organizers hot under the collar.
She said multiple factors are driving more buzz around billboards, including the fact they’re no longer confined to highways or city squares. A poster can explode on social media feeds as soon as the vinyl is dry, leading to discussion around its content or placement. With more buyers and brands leaning into data to optimize their planning and creativity, too, this can lead to messaging being taken out of context.
Gutnik also said the most recent talking points demonstrate the powerful emotional response large-format “real world” advertising can unlock—sometimes for better (see: the bubblegum pink Barbie Movie billboard or The Ordinary’s minimalist ads) or sometimes in a way that provokes debate.
“The good news for marketers is that campaigns resonating positively receive plenty of earned media and incremental audience extension,” she added. “On the flip side, if the creative does not sit well with viewers, marketers need to be prepared.”
Scroll down to see the four most controversial billboard ads of 2024. These ads have encouraged debate and discussion and helped CMOs learn what their audiences truly stand for.
1. Regulators Ban Calvin Klein’s FKA Twigs Ad
The ad: An artsy black-and-white billboard for Calvin Klein features British musician FKA Twigs in a shirt draped across her body, revealing part of one breast and the side of her buttocks. The billboard also features the brand’s famous tagline, “Calvins or nothing.”