I’m sure not many of my readers have instant access to billboards, but a recent article on GOOD highlighting a company that repurposes billboard signage into place mats as the inspiration to see how else they’re being reused.
REUSE/DIY
- One company really harps on the reuse of billboard signage as tarps. Like Dave Letterman, they even provide a top ten list of ways you can reuse a billboard as a tarp. From the pool to a chicken coop, those old ads can really come in handy.
- The first thing I thought of when looking into this reuse theme was Target’s upcycling of a Times Square ad into Anna Sui handbags. Apparently, the trend lives on. I found a few billboard upcycled bags online, including with etsy seller Notty Pooch(who also makes laptop cases and journals and coasters too!), a cool New Zealand bag creator and this presumed graveyard of a former bag seller (but check out the cool stuff they did!)
- The Society of Environmental Graphic Design hosts information about a pretty sweet concept where earthbags are erected by using billboard vinyl as the prominent building material. Sustainability FTW!
- If you’re the actual business (or maybe a big fan) who had the billboard, consider reusing it at trade shows or even (if you have enough space), showing it off in the office.
