Celebrating the holiday season with a classic Christmas movie gets everyone in the spirit for a holly jolly Christmas…but while watching for the first time or rewatching your favorite ones, did you catch all the Out of Home media? That’s correct, even in our favorite classic Christmas movies OOH media is used to set the scene, inform the characters, and/or inform the audience. So we decided to showcase the top 6 billboards from classic Christmas movies!
It’s A Wonderful Life – (1946)
The classics of classics, first we have It’s a Wonderful Life. The following Out of Home media is the sign for the Bailey Bros. Building & Loan and Association. The films’s main protagonist, George Bailey, runs the small local community bank instead of living out his life dreams of traveling. The sign out front sets the scene to a major plot point of the movie, the run on the bank. When crowds of people raid the bank to pull out money from their accounts, but to their surprise there is no money to give out. This thought sets the tone for the rest of the movie.
A Charlie Brown Christmas – (1965)
This animated telvision special episode still warms the hearts of many each year! Throughout the film is the classic comedic bit of Lucy’s psychiatry booth. The booth is meant for the characters to come up and tell Lucy their problems while hoping to receive some good advice. The OOH part of this gig is the booth itself. Lucy advertises “Psychiatric Help 5 ¢” and it works! People come up asking for her advice…the power of OOH!
How Grinch Stole Christmas! – (1966)
The 1966 television program showcased Dr. Seuss’s character The Grinch. The characters only goal is to ruin Christmas for all of Whoville. In this film, the scene of the town Whoville is set by their “Welcome to Whoville” sign. This gives the audience information regarding the setting of the movie as well a look into the Who’s lives. It shows how they contrast from the mean Grinch. That’s what makes this sign such a great example!
A Christmas Carol – (1984)
After the death of friend and business partner, Jacob Marley, Ebenezer Scrooge is left with a heart that despises charity and Christmas. The sign out front of his offices turns old and unmantained as seven years pass by. The coldness of winter is about as cold as Scrooge’s heart is until the ghost of Marley and the three Christmas spirits visit him. The purpose of this sign is to show time laspse.
Home Alone – (1990)
Kevin McCallister, a burglar’s worst nightmare. After being left home alone for Christmas, Kevin encounters two thieves whom he forced to defend his house against. But in between fighting criminals he finds times to order pizza from Little Nero’s Pizza. The mobile billboard advertises itself when the pizza delivery driver pulls up to the McCalister’s home only to scared death by one of Kevin’s pranks.