Dayton traveling billboard hopes to grab nation’s attention

Dayton’s third traveling billboard hits the road Wednesday and local officials hope it will be viewed by countless people who will get a little taste of some of the things the community has to offer.

Images of the Dayton Art Institute, the Schuster Center, the Dayton Opera, the Contemporary Dayton and the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company have been added to one side of a semi-trailer that belongs to Martin Transportation Systems (MTS).

The other side of the trailer has images of the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, the Wright Brothers National Museum at Carillon Park, the National Aviation Hall of Fame and the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park.

Both sides of the trailer say, “Visit Dayton, Ohio.”

This is the third semi-trailer that MTS has put on the roadways with advertising promoting Dayton.

The other two have images of local attractions and displays and historical items from local museums.

“Our goal is to build awareness of Dayton and to drive, if you’ll pardon the pun, more visitors to greater Dayton,” said Jacquelyn Powell, president and CEO of the Dayton Convention & Visitors Bureau.

The eye-catching images will draw attention to some of Dayton’s many valuable assets, said Montgomery County Commissioner Carolyn Rice.

“I truly, truly love this idea, because it’s like a rolling billboard all around the country,” she said.

Kevin Burch, vice president of sales with MTS, said a recent study by his company found that its decal trailers on average make more than 16 million “impressions” each year.

The new semi-trailer billboard heads to Kansas City on Wednesday, Burch said, and MTS trucks on average travel about 100,000 miles each year.

“It’s wonderful to see how we can tell the story of Dayton on our trailers,” he said.

About the Author