Business Owner Finds Lisle Billboard Installed Upside Down

By SCOTT VIAU (Patch Staff)

Imagine deciding to purchase a giant billboard to advertise your business. You’re excited and eager to see how it looks and then ... it’s upside down.

That’s what one business owner went through after he bought a billboard, but instead of being useless, he’s found it’s actually drawn more attention than maybe it would have had it been right-side up.

It all started when Plainfield resident and Naperville business owner Jeff Kohl was looking to get a billboard for his gym a couple of months ago, but decided it probably wouldn’t deliver the best return on his investment.

Kohl owns another business, Solutions Laser Studio, located at 1995 Springbrook Square Dr. in Naperville, but due to the price of the billboard, he decided not to get one for that, either. However, when he was pitched a price too good to pass up, he went for it.

And then he saw it.

“For about 30 seconds I was mad, and then my phone kept ringing from friends and family,” Kohl said.

Still, Kohl doesn’t understand how the billboard came to be put up that way. Surely someone would have noticed that it didn’t look right.

“I could understand if my number was upside down and they’re like ‘Oh, maybe he’s doing it on purpose,’ but everything is perfectly straight,” Kohl said.

Ben Lewis, a sales executive for Outfront Media, was the one who pitched the billboard to Kohl. Lewis wouldn’t comment to Patch on how the billboard came to be upside down, but said he’s happy that Kohl is taking the mistake in stride.

To make up for the accident, Kohl said Lewis offered free marketing and told Kohl to offer anyone who mentions the billboard 25 percent off and they’ll pay that.

In addition, Kohl says they plan to flip the billboard around.

“In all reality, for a startup business, it’s gotten me more publicity than I ever could have paid for,” Kohl said.

But Nick Squires, co-owner of Madison, WI-based Vigor Creations, said it wasn’t an accident at all, but rather a carefully constructed publicity stunt. Not even Kohl knew about it until it went up.

“We pretty much had free reign from Jeff to do what we wanted to do,” Squires said.

It was a gamble. Kohl could have been quite upset over it, but Squires said Vigor is in charge of Kohl’s advertising and knew they could take a risk.

“It’s gotten the publicity that we as a marketing company were looking for,” he said.

Look at it while you can, though. It will be flipped around next week.

The billboard is located at Ogden and N. Naper Blvd. in Lisle.