Why Are Those Billboards Upside Down?

Prime Motor Group Upside Down Ad

The upside down Prime Motor Group billboards dotting the landscaping around Greater Boston have become the topic of conversation for many commuters. The simple upside down blue billboards with the company’s website have been spotted on major highways to the south and west of the city.  They have become impossible for drivers to miss while pictures of the billboards appear frequently on social media. “Was it a mistake?” seems to be the big question on everybody’s mind.

Well, it turns out the whole thing was not some massive screw up by a sign production company or a confused marketer. The upside down signs are part of a new advertising campaign by the Prime Motor Group to promote how it is “different” from other car dealerships. In a posting on the company’s blog, owner David Rosenberg explains what’s going on as follows:

No we are not crazy and yes we did flip our billboards upside down on purpose. Why did we do it? The first reason was simple, we knew it would catch people’s attention. But secondly, and more importantly, we wanted to make a point. Most dealers out there always say that they are “different” but at the end of the day are they really doing anything different? At Prime we decided that it was time for change. So we have changed the way we sell cars.

In the old model of selling cars the dealership holds all the information and has all the leverage on the customer and the staring contest that ensues can take hours and be incredibly painful. And even though customers now have access to all the information on the internet, most dealers still play these silly games. Well, not at Prime. At all of our 25 locations in the greater Boston area, Worcester, Southern New Hampshire, Southern Maine and Cape Cod we make sure we bring all of the important information from credible parties like Edmunds.com, KBB.com and Autotrader.com to the forefront to validate our great pricing. With added transparency and credibility, Prime makes buying a car simple and pain free!

Here’s Rosenberg explaining the ads in a 30 second spot for the company: