Interactive Bug Spray Billboard Proves Its Point With 230,000 Insects

We’ve written about interactive billboards before, but this is the first time I’ve seen one that is interactive with bugs instead of humans. It’s mosquito season again, and that means people around the world are going to be swatting those annoying bugs all summer. A company called Orphea that produces an outdoor bug spray decided to create an interactive billboard in Milan to catch people’s attention, and it turned out to be a brilliant piece of marketing.

As you’ll see in the video, when the billboard was first constructed, it looked like it was just a white background with a can of insect repellent in the corner. As time went by, that all changed. The white paper was painted with a transparent, non-drying glue. It was painted on in the shape of a bug spray mist that would come out of a can.

Of course, that means that when bugs flew into the fake bug spray (glue) they met their demise. During the campaign, about 230,000 insects gave their lives to complete the stunning effect. It really was a brilliant way to turn something as simple as spraying outdoor bug spray into an eye-catching, creative endeavor.

Although there is something morbid about celebrating the mass slaughter of all these tiny bugs, I still give it a thumbs up. As a matter of fact, now I’m wondering if I can coat my house in transparent glue. It would be the most diabolical bug trap in the neighborhood. The only problem is, I’d end up with a house covered in bugs. I have yet to find a bug spray that will keep those suckers off my arms and legs, and after seeing this, I might even try some Orphea. I guess their marketing worked on me. [Campaign created by Publicis in Italy]