Mobile billboard advertising is one of the few mediums that actually forces people to look up from their phones.
Imagine like this: a bright LED truck rolling through downtown Toronto, Mississauga, Vancouver, Calgary, or Ottawa – your brand on three glowing screens, looping a bold, simple message while traffic crawls and sidewalks stay busy. That’s the power of digital mobile billboards.
When traditional ads get ignored, mobile LED trucks cut through the noise with scale, motion, and presence. But it’s creative that makes the difference between “just another ad” and an unforgettable campaign that people will remember.
This guide walks you through how to design scroll-stopping mobile billboard ads that work in the real world – on the streets, not just in a Figma file.
The Ultimate Guide to Mobile LED & Digital Billboard
1. Keep It Simple and Clear
On a mobile LED truck, you have seconds – not minutes.
The most successful campaigns typical have:
- One central message
- One strong visual
- One clear action
Ask yourself:
If somebody looks at your truck as they are crossing the street or sitting at a red light, can they tell:
- Who you are
- What you offer
- What they should do next
in 3–5 seconds?
If not, simplify.
Tips:
- Use one bold headline of 5–7 words
- Avoid lengthy paragraphs or several offers
- Don’t try to tell your whole brand story on one screen
Think of your LED truck creative like a headline with impact, not a brochure.
2. Use High-Quality Visuals
Your visuals are doing most of the talking.
Mobile LED trucks make images big, bright, and dynamic – but if your images are low-res or cluttered, they’ll look even worse at scale.
Best practices:
- Keep high-resolution photos or illustrations (no pixelation at 1280×720 / 720×720)
- Feature people, products, or strong icons – things the brain can recognize instantly
- Avoid over-detailed background photos that fight your text for attention
If you show your product, show it in use:
- Food? Show it being enjoyed.
- Real estate? Show the lifestyle, not just a building.
- Services? Show the “after” result.
3. Use Strong, Contrasting Colors
Colour is not just about looking nice – it’s about visibility and emotion.
On the road, your creative is competing with:
- Car lights
- Storefronts
- Street signs
- Other OOH media
You want contrast, not chaos.
Tips:
- Use one strong background color with a contrasting text colour
- Stick to 2–3 core brand colors in the creative
- Test light-on-dark vs dark-on-light versions
You can even A/B test colour palettes on different days or routes if you run a longer campaign, and see which creative gets more scans, calls, or web visits.
4. Use Large, Legible Fonts
If someone has to squint to read it, the ad is already lost.
Your font choices should be:
- Big – headlines should be huge
- Clean – avoid overly decorative typefaces
- On-brand – use your brand fonts where possible, but choose the boldest, clearest style
Avoid:
- Thin fonts on bright backgrounds
- Long sentences in all caps
- Small body text that only works on a laptop screen
Mobile LED ads are read from a distance and often in motion, so legibility beats style every time.
5. Let White Space Do the Heavy Lifting
White space does not go to waste: it is what creates the prominence of your key element.
Avoid the temptation to fill in every corner of the screen.
Well-used white space:
- Separates the logo, headline, and CTA
- Gives the eye a “rest” so the main message is clearer
- Makes the design more premium and confident
A simple rule:
If your ad feels crowded when you zoom out to 25% on your screen, remove something.
How to Amplify Your Digital Mobile Billboard Ads
Now that your creative is clean and strong, it’s time to make it perform.
1. Include a Strong CTA (and Make It Easy to Act)
A beautiful ad without action is just… a moving poster.
Your mobile LED creative should tell people exactly what to do next, for example:
- “Visit growmoretechgroup.com”
- “Scan to book your free consult”
- “Text ‘OFFER’ to 555-5555”
- “Now open at Toronto & Vancouver”
You can create emergency with the following phrases:
- “Limited Time Offer”
- “This Week Only”
- “Launch Special – Book Today”
Don’t forget QR codes
QR codes function terrifically on LED trucks when:
- They’re big and clear
- Placed in a predictable corner
- Paired with micro-copy such as “Scan for Offer”
- Landing pages
- Booking forms
- Menus
- App download pages
- Event registrations
Mobile billboards grab attention in the physical world, while QR codes bridge that moment into digital action.
2. Design for Real Viewing Angles
- Head-on
- From the side
- From behind
- From above (if you’re near condos, offices, overpasses)
- For a moment as people walk or drive past
So you’re not just designing a nice flat image, but you’re designing for movement and angles.
Practical tips:
- Keep key elements (logo, headline, CTA) toward the centre zone of the screen
- Avoid placing important text right at the edges
- Whenever possible, preview your design on a mock up of a truck image, rather than just a rectangle
Imagine the story your ad tells as someone:
- Notices the truck in the distance
- Comes closer
- Stands beside it or passes by it
- Sees it in their peripheral vision later on the route
Your design should still make sense at every stage.
3. Tailor Your Message to the Location
A one-size-fits-all message is a missed opportunity.
With mobile LED trucks, you can adjust messaging based on:
- Neighbourhood
- City
- Event type
- Time of day
Examples:
- Near office districts: focus on professional services, B2B, financial, tech, education.
- Near malls and plazas: talk about offers, sales, new arrivals, “Now Open” messaging.
- Near beachfronts, parks, or tourist spots: lead with lifestyle, leisure, experiences.
When Grow More plans routes, we often help clients adjust creative or copy to better match where the truck is actually running.
4. Stay Consistent With Your Brand
Think of your LED truck as a moving flagship store window.
Anyone who sees it should instantly connect it to your:
- Website
- Social media
- In-store branding
- Other advertising
So keep:
- Logos consistent
- Colours on-brand
- Tone of voice aligned with the rest of your marketing
The more consistent you are, the more your mobile billboards reinforce brand recall and trust, instead of feeling like one-off stunts.
5. Use Creativity (and Humor) Strategically
Some of the best mobile billboard ads:
- Make people smile
- Use clever headlines
- Subtly poke fun at common problems or competitors (without crossing the line)
Humour and creativity can help your ad:
- Get photographed
- Be shared on social media
- Become a “talked-about” moment in the city
But:
- Keep it on-brand
- Avoid anything offensive or confusing
- Test it with a small group first if you’re unsure
A good question to ask:
“Would I feel proud seeing this ad shared with my logo under it?”
Mastering Mobile Billboard Campaigns: Maintenance & Analytics
Creative is half the game.
Execution and optimization are the other half.
1. Keep the Truck and Screens in Top Shape
A great design still fails if:
- The screen is dim or glitchy
- The truck looks worn out
- The colours are washed out or miscalibrated
At Grow More, we treat our LED trucks as both media units and brand ambassadors, which means:
- Regular inspection of LED panels
- Replacing any faulty modules promptly
- Ensuring brightness and colour balance are optimized for daytime and evening
- Keeping the truck exterior clean and professional
When your ad is running on our trucks, we want it to look like a premium moving billboard, not just “a truck with a screen”.
2. Measure and Analyze Your Campaign
To improve results over time, you need more than just “looks good”.
You should track:
- Website traffic spikes during campaign days/hours
- Landing page visits from QR codes or custom URLs
- Call volume or inquiry forms submitted
- Redemptions of specific promo codes or offers
- Store footfall and sales uplift (when possible)
You can also test:
- Different CTAs
- Different images
- Different colour backgrounds
- Short, punchy vs slightly more detailed copy
The goal is to learn what your specific audience responds to best, then feed that back into your next round of creative.
Conclusion: Let Your Mobile Billboard Do More Than Just “Show Up”
When a Grow More LED truck hits the road, it’s more than just a moving screen.
It’s a chance to:
- Tell a simple, powerful story
- Reach people in the exact neighbourhoods that matter
- Create real-world moments that turn into searches, scans, visits, and sales
To recap what makes mobile billboard ads truly irresistible:
- Keep the message simple and clear
- Use high-quality visuals and strong contrast
- Choose large, legible fonts
- Respect white space
- Add a strong CTA and QR code
- Tailor your message to location and audience
- Maintain brand consistency
- Stay on top of maintenance and analytics
When all of that comes together, your mobile billboard isn’t just an ad.
It becomes a moving extension of your brand, lighting up the streets and staying in people’s minds long after the truck has passed.
Ready to Design a Mobile Billboard That Actually Performs?
If you’re planning a campaign in Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa, Montreal or anywhere across Canada, Grow More can help you:
- Design impactful creatives
- Plan smart, high-traffic routes
- Track performance with GPS and reporting
- Build recurring or seasonal campaigns that compound results
Let’s put your brand on wheels.
You share your goal – we’ll help you turn it into a mobile LED campaign that people can’t ignore.