Marketing Observations from My Summer Vacation

I spent last week in a beachfront house in a town called Duck in North Carolina’s Outer Banks. Because it was impossible for me to completely remove my marketing nerd hat, I snapped photos of various marketing-related nuggets that caught my eye throughout the week.

I also forced my wife, Kelly, to do the same as I was driving. Thank you, love of my life.

Please pardon the quality of some of the images as they were taken while driving in the rain.

Here are some of the marketing highlights, lowlights and observations from my summer vacation.

Nag’s Head Hammocks had the best billboards. They made me want to take a nap in a hammock.

Instead of cluttering up the billboards with price points and other stuff that nobody in a fast moving car would be able to absorb, they had simple messages like “Relax,” “No Wake Zone,” and “What’s the Rush?”

I found this billboard particularly effective because I could spot “BBQ” from a quarter mile away.

The biggest mistake I see on billboards is the use of small text that drivers can’t read unless they stare at your billboard when they’re right in front of it. When it comes to marketing, especially billboards, simplicity wins.

By the way, McDonald’s wins the award for both the funniest and the worst billboard. It said, “100% BEEF” in big, bold letters.

I can’t imagine the folks at McDonald’s even believe that their burgers contain 100 percent beef, let alone their customers.

I saw this sign after I bought t-shirts featuring the same duck for my daughters from another store.

Claiming to be the official anything doesn’t make it official, especially if the store across the street is selling the same thing and could theoretically make the same claim.

This retailer went with the old “skin to win” approach on their sandwich board.

Did you notice the flip flops dangling from the bike’s handlebars? I guess they want you to buy those.

I can appreciate the clever play on words from these folks, but that mascot looks a little too much like the kind of nuts that I don’t want to eat. Yikes.

Creating a photo op by your attraction or retail establishment is a great way to lure customers. The paddle boat and mini-golf place at the Timbuck 2 shopping center uses this giant Adirondack chair.

If the skies were less threatening, we would have rewarded them with our money, but it was not to be. Instead, we settled for this photo of Kelly and my daughters, Cassidy and Caitlin.

Has anyone in the history of the world stopped by a Dairy Queen because they had a hankerin’ for some lemonade?

This is a phenomenal example of storytelling from a Vantage South Bank ad in a local newspaper. I highlighted only the text here so you could read it.

Most of the ads in this newspaper are geared towards tourists, but this is for locals or people who are considering moving to the area

They’re your Outer Bankers. Brilliant.

I stopped at a gas station and saw a carousel of sunglasses through the window with a handwritten sign that said, “2 for $14.99.”

Yes, please.

Nothing fancy, but it worked.

Here’s to you, random Exxon in the sticks of Virginia. Somehow you knew I refuse to pay more than $20 for a pair of shades. Well played.

Seriously though, have I ever looked better?