UPDATE: Mystery solved, go to the end of the article for the answer!
It all started with me driving by one of those electronic billboards on I-95. You know the billboards that rotate different advertising messages. But one caught my eye because it didn't have a logo on the billboard. It simply was a pink top hat and said, "Coming 07.02.18."
I racked my brain trying to think what client this pink top hat could represent. Google had no answers for me. Then I started receiving texts from friends started wondering the same thing!
#PinkTopHatMysterypic.twitter.com/sVVXhDQUBX
— T.A. Walker (@timallanwalker) June 26, 2018
Then my friend Rachel sent a text that said, "OG. I just saw the [billboard] but this time it had a green dog." What do green dogs and pink top hats have to do with one another. Google, again had no answers.
What are these billboards for? #PinkTopHatMysterypic.twitter.com/1b39m5klXE
— T.A. Walker (@timallanwalker) June 26, 2018
So today, I got into news unit #501 and drove to the billboard to get footage of the signs. And there was a blue car where the top hat and dog had been. Blue cars, green dogs, pink top hats? I started to feel like I recognized these pieces. MONOPOLY tokens!
I figured it must be an advertising campaign for McDonald's bringing its Monopoly game back to its restaurants. So I decided to do some research (by research I mean to order a Quarter Pounder with Cheese) and head to McDonald's. There was no Monopoly signage in the windows and the workers didn't know anything about when Monopoly is coming back.
#PinkTopHatMysterypic.twitter.com/wUyT8heJ82
— T.A. Walker (@timallanwalker) June 26, 2018
Back to ground zero. So I decided to ask my source at Clear Channel Outdoor (the folks who own the billboards). That source responded, "You know I can’t tell you anything."
No comment. #PinkTopHatMysterypic.twitter.com/5qWN81h4B4
— T.A. Walker (@timallanwalker) June 26, 2018
"ARRGGGGGH," I screamed out loud at the e-mail. Who spends thousands of dollars on a billboard only to NOT put their name and logo on them? Some genius marketing people, because I'm dwelling on this now. AND NO, I can't wait until July 2.
UPDATE: The Florida Lottery confirmed the billboards are theirs and are being displayed to promote their new Monopoly scratch-off game (launching on Monday).
