“The World’s Most Boring Billboard” is a very well executed communicative solution where the media is the message. We bought one billboard in a public place (for everyone to see) in one city of Sweden. For 12 years. To prove that our product is the real deal. The success factor is a mix of the unconventional media solution in combination with a message that is loaded with understated boldness.

Sioo:x is a wood protection product that gives outdoor wooden surfaces a naturally beautiful silver-gray surface while protecting the wood for twelve years. In addition, it’s completely environmentally friendly – which is groundbreaking for the category.

Swedish Sioo:x sales are mainly concentrated around the country’s three major cities. However, it has somewhat been lagging behind in Malmö, compared to Gothenburg and Stockholm. The billboard was therefore placed in Malmö city.

The brief was to communicate the product’s long-lasting durability, strength and sustainability. To achieve increase sales and brand awareness.

We created a truly unique outdoor ad from real Sioo:x-treated boards, and booked a triple-sided billboard in Sweden’s most windy city. For twelve years. By emphasizing the weakness of our (to be honest) pretty boring low-interest product, we were able to make the billboard an unexpected product demonstration that will prove that Sioo:x can keep their promise. For real.

Based on the target group analysis, the products long-term durability is the single most important factor in choosing Sioo:x Wood Production. But Sioo:x brand awareness is low, and the general interest in wood protection is low as well.

Our strategy was to dramatize and, in an extraordinary way, prove the long-term sustainability of Sioo:x. With a very limited media budget, the idea also had to build on a strong PR core.

Instead of even trying to break through the already massive media noise with yet another grand promise and loud messages, about our “boring” product, we decided to turn the challenges into an advantage. So, we did the opposite. We created the World's Most Boring Billboard and let the product itself prove its greatness. We did this in a public place in one of Sweden's largest cities, where sales have fallen a little lately.

First, we picked a location where the weather will put the Sioo:x product to an ultimate test. We chose Malmö, Swedens third largest city, which happens to be a coastal city with a high average humidity throughout the year. Something that wears hard on outdoor wooden surfaces. Then, we booked a triple-sided billboard on a public place in Malmö. For twelve years. At last, we covered the three billboard sides with Sioo:x-treated boards (from our customer's own balcony) and applied our message to it. Suddenly we had created an outdoor ad that will prove that Sioo: x really do keep their promise.

"The World's Most Boring Billboard" was born, and the message proclaimed that nothing will happen here in 12 years. Everything was documented and packed into a movie spread through youtube.

The initiative generated massive attention worldwide, from local press to Spanish talk shows.

The hard facts:

- Sales (compared with the same period the previous year) increased by 40%, exceeding the goal by 166%.

- Mentioned in over 105 articles worldwide. With an estimated PR-value of 500 million (SEK). The goal was exceeded by 5000%.

- Potential reach: 100,000,000 people. The goal was exceeded by 1000%.

- Sioo:x become the most searched brand on Google within its product category (compared to -the previous year). At Google Trends where you can see that interest in Sioo:x has increased by over 1000% since last year.

- The campaign has also resulted in all-time high visitor statistics on the company's website.