The Takeaway
Rikki Tatum, a mental health and substance abuse therapist from Buffalo, ran nonprofit billboards in the Atlanta area where his son lives. The message read “Dear Dominick, your daddy loves you” with a photo and the URL FathersRightsMovement.us. The five campaigns delivered 5,034 blips and 60,249 estimated impressions at an average cost of $0.08 per blip. Local news covered the story, and the Fathers’ Rights community responded.
Why Fathers’ Rights Turned to Billboard Advertising
Rikki Tatum is a mental health and substance abuse therapist from Buffalo, New York. After losing custody of his son, Dominic, he joined a Fathers’ Rights group so he could learn from and contribute to a wider community. He wanted a bold, visible way to share his message, and he wanted it to reach his son.
Rikki met with several billboard companies before he chose Blip. Traditional out-of-home buying priced him out of a personal campaign. Blip let him run on his own terms, in the city where his son actually lived, without a long-term contract.
How Fathers’ Rights Built Its Billboard Campaign
Rikki set up five separate campaigns and ran them on five digital billboards in the Atlanta area.
- Boards selected: Five digital billboards in Atlanta, chosen to reach the neighborhood where Dominic lives.
- Creative approach: A photo of Rikki and his son, and one line of copy: “Dear Dominick, your daddy loves you.” A URL, FathersRightsMovement.us, sat below.
- Campaign structure: Five separate campaigns over time rather than a single flight, so the same audience saw the message more than once.
- Budget approach: Pay per play at an average of $0.08 per blip. There was no monthly minimum and no contract.
The Creative
The design carried one image and one sentence. A driver had enough time to read the boy’s name and the reason for the ad. For nonprofits building their own visuals, Blip’s billboard design guidelines cover what reads at driving speed.
What Fathers’ Rights’ Billboard Campaign Delivered
The five campaigns delivered 5,034 blips across five digital billboards, resulting in an estimated 60,249 impressions at an average cost of $0.08 per blip. The first time Rikki saw the ad live, he drove to a parking lot near the sign in George Hill to watch it play.
The wider response came from the community. Members of the Fathers’ Rights Facebook group reached out to thank him. Local news stations covered the story. Ellen DeGeneres reached out to talk about the work he was doing. Those outcomes are what a set of well-placed digital signs can produce when the message is personal and the placement is inside the market that matters most.
Blip gives people the chance to get on a billboard without breaking the bank. I’m happy that Blip provides this solution for people to get this kind of exposure. Without Blip, I couldn’t have gotten on a billboard and I couldn’t have shared this message that is giving people hope.
Rikki Tatum, Father
Why This Billboard Campaign Worked
- A specific audience: Boards placed in the neighborhood where Dominic lives, not across the country.
- One line of copy: A photo and a sentence. Nothing else competed for the driver’s attention.
- Repeat exposure: Five campaigns over time gave the same drivers multiple chances to see the message.
- News-friendly story: A father addressing his son from a highway is the kind of story local news picks up on its own.
What Nonprofits and Advocates Can Take From This Campaign
Individual advocates and small nonprofits can use these ideas without an agency:
- Reach the market that actually matters: One market with real meaning beats a national spread on a limited budget.
- Keep the message personal: name the person it’s for. A specific story travels further than a general one.
- Plan for repeated exposure: Multiple short flights over time build recognition more effectively than a single large burst.
- Be ready for the press: Have a landing page and a way to respond when local news outlets pick up the story.
Run a Campaign With Nonprofit Billboards Like Rikki’s
Choose the boards in the market that matters to your cause, set a budget you are comfortable with, and give the campaign enough time to build recognition. Nonprofit billboards through Blip are self-serve and contract-free.
Frequently Asked Questions About Fathers’ Rights’ Billboard Campaign
How many billboards did Fathers’ Rights use?
Five digital billboards in the Atlanta area, across five separate campaigns.
How much did the Fathers’ Rights campaign cost per play?
The average cost per blip was $0.08. Blip prices on a pay-per-play model, so the cost per blip varies by board and market.
Did the campaign generate any coverage?
Yes. Local news stations covered the story, the Fathers’ Rights Facebook community responded, and Ellen DeGeneres reached out to talk about the work.
Can nonprofits and individuals use nonprofit billboards on Blip?
Yes. Nonprofits and individuals can use Blip to design, launch, and manage a campaign, choosing what to spend and where the ads run.
Do I need a contract to run a billboard with Blip?
No. There are no contracts and no minimums. You choose the boards, the budget, and the schedule, and can adjust as your needs change.