This is definitely a unique and creative way to sell some salads. The advertising folks over at McDonald’s came up with this billboard near Chicago that actually grows it’s message in lettuce and judging from this picture were quite successful. Fresh lettuce growing from a billboard probably can’t last long, but it’s still a cool idea and looks really appealing. I’m almost tempted to go there and buy a salad myself, ok not really, but if you find your self stuck there a salad is probably the way to go.
“McDonald’s came to us with a specific assignment,” said Avery Gross, a writer and creative director who worked on the salads billboard. “It’s an ad that celebrates freshness.”
Leo Burnett’s creative team worked closely with a horticulturalist to create a billboard that could start with 1½-inch spouts and grow into lush leaves. The garden appears to be safe from being plucked apart by birds because there is no place for them to perch and peck.
I’m sure the birds could get to it if they wanted, they could easily perch on the lettuce itself. I wonder if it is organic? 
Check out this video of the billboard’s message growing in.
James Towner | Posted in 
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June 12th, 2008 at 8:45 pm
Neat! How do they water it? Good gimmick even if it is for their evil empire. I do hope the birds will chow down on it. :c)
June 13th, 2008 at 7:52 am
Very interesting concept.
June 13th, 2008 at 9:32 am
Actually, their salads are pretty stinkin’ good. The Chicken Caesar salad has more to it than most — carrots, sprouts, etc. Most Caesar’s are lettuce and sauce. Bleh.
The Mrs. says the Asian salad is really good too!
June 13th, 2008 at 11:37 am
Wow, cool. Takes me back all the way to October of 2007…when it was actually NEW! Hey, did you hear? Bill Clinton’s wife is thinking of running for president!
June 13th, 2008 at 12:24 pm
The salad base are great. there are more than 7 kinds of lettuce (in small quantities) and carrots baby spinach tomatoes etc in them. but the problem comes in with the bacon bits all that cheese and the dressing. and don’t forget that there is more sodium in the chicken then in the fries even the grilled chicken. so if you use low fat dressing and ax the chicken the salad is great and don’t ever include the bacon ranch salad as healthy.
June 13th, 2008 at 1:04 pm
WHOOAAAA Digg ftw!
June 13th, 2008 at 2:07 pm
Digg ftw indeed.
June 13th, 2008 at 3:24 pm
Wow! ken is SO cool! Everyone look at ken’s post. He knew about this before anyone else here! How cool is that! Everyone look at ken, ken is so happening. So with it. Just because it’s all new to us and we hadn’t seen it before, we suck and shouldn’t comment on it because ken knows it’s old news. All bow to ken!
June 13th, 2008 at 4:54 pm
I LOVE YOU KEN!
June 13th, 2008 at 5:59 pm
AMEN BROTHERS! KEN FTW!
June 13th, 2008 at 6:07 pm
The salads McDonald’s serves you will have 1,000# more e-coli and mexican feces than the stuff growing on the billboard.
June 13th, 2008 at 6:28 pm
[...] looks like McDonalds has invented billboards that advertise there salads by growing their message in lettuce. Well, this is further proof to my theory that everything from McDonalds is at least 50% not real [...]
June 13th, 2008 at 6:42 pm
That’s a really cool idea, I like it. However, I wonder what will happen once the lettuce starts to die. Imagine, a wilting, brown mess reading “FRESH SALADS”, that would be funny.
June 13th, 2008 at 7:17 pm
[...] that actually grows it’s message in lettuce and judging from this picture were quite successful.read more | digg [...]
June 13th, 2008 at 8:50 pm
Ken! Thanks for turning me onto this link! I can’t believe you knew about this so long ago!!! You truly are a wonder of the internet!!!!111!!!
June 13th, 2008 at 10:45 pm
and now you may all sniff gently between my nuts.
June 14th, 2008 at 4:51 am
Meanwhile people throughout the world eat mud for sustenance… I agree with Ken, sniff his nuts.
June 14th, 2008 at 11:24 pm
[...] McDonalds experiments with a living billboard. [...]
June 15th, 2008 at 1:18 pm
Great advertising for a one time thing. The billboard did not show the message for a long time so their visibility was limited. The extra press on the internet & news was worth it overall. Not as effective to duplicate.
June 15th, 2008 at 8:10 pm
[...] Your weekly roundup of web poo. Lola’s latest marketing campaign. What if all the news was good? John McCain’s abandoned first wife. Top 50 Most Memorable Movie Cars. :cool 10 Shocking Facts about Global Slavery. Get Used to High Gas Prices. McDonald’s lettuce growing billboard. [...]
June 16th, 2008 at 12:07 am
[...] McDonald’s Lettuce Billboard [Azsustainability] [...]
June 16th, 2008 at 8:29 pm
What you don’t know is that the salads they serve you are straight off that billboard!
June 17th, 2008 at 7:48 am
[...] AzSustainability.com Tags: advertising, greenwashing, McDonalds, rainforest, salad Add a comment or question [...]
June 18th, 2008 at 9:42 pm
Cool idea. One can feel the freshness right after seeing the billboard.Innovative idea.
June 22nd, 2008 at 12:58 pm
[...] that actually grows it’s message in lettuce and judging from this picture were quite successful.read more | digg [...]
June 24th, 2008 at 2:46 am
[...] I still have doubts over the short term success rate, progression in this field with take decades), McDonalds ditch the burgers and fries-style advertising, and opt for lettuces growing on a billboard, if your death is imminent, make sure your last words have the same level of greatness as these, [...]
October 15th, 2008 at 6:45 am
Hello.
reflects the couple’s low-key approach to their royal connections.
Bye.