What Is It? -- Billboard on Interstate Highway 10, Arizona
by Darin Volpe
Title
What Is It? -- Billboard on Interstate Highway 10, Arizona
Artist
Darin Volpe
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
Somewhere in the middle of the Arizona desert we saw a yellow billboard on the side of I-10 proclaiming “The Thing?” This was followed by another, then another, then yet another. Having us look out for “The Thing?” billboards was a good way of keeping two rowdy boys from making a ruckus in the back seat. And they went on for what seemed like hours. “Was that ‘The Thing?'” mom would ask every time we started making noise, or kicking the seat in front of us, or when the older (not me) would start to torment the younger (me) out of boredom. Suddenly we were looking out the windows of the green Chevy, scanning the Arizona desert for any sign of the mysterious “Thing.” We never did see it. In time the billboards stopped and we had to turn to other ways of amusing ourselves through the scenery of rocks and scrub.
So, what might this have to do with good advertising? In 2009 I took one of my famous “leave work on Friday, get back by Sunday road trips. I was driving through Arizona where I saw the billboard on the side of the freeway. “The Thing?” The Thing! THE THING! I had to go. It called to me like the Sirens called to Greek sailors. I had no idea where it was. I had no idea WHAT it was. But I had time to explore, and so there I went. A few miles down I-10 and there was another one. “The Thing? Mystery of the desert.” And more. “The Thing? It’s a wonder!” “The Thing? What is it? Clean Restrooms!” Any advertising that works after over three decades and takes a person 50 miles out of their way has to be called a success.
Uploaded
November 24th, 2018
Embed
Share
