Hawk Agency,

like most insurance companies, was a conservative business who stayed within the boundaries of portraying an appropriate buttoned down image.  We approached them to give us an opportunity to try Outdoor Advertising.  Sharing a few pieces of spec art, ‘the tree’ won approval and a contract. Keeping phone number and address off the design was a battle.  The simple design was also simple in execution.  Avoiding the prop companies to produce an embellishment, a large production expense would have killed the idea, we secured permission to remove a 40 foot tree from a local land owner with plenty of timber on his property. The tree was free for the cutting.  A simple (hand) paint. Dropping the tree on top with the crane. Securing it to the cross angle iron in back with cable. Bending and banging up a few metal sections.  The image was complete.  ‘For Life’s Awkward Moments’

At 4PM, I could hear the installation crew parking the boom truck in back, completing their day.  Before I could speak to our foreman, our office phones started ringing.  Lines 1 and 3 were calling about ‘the tree.’  The Hawk Agency was on-line 2.  Oh boy, I thought, what’s wrong.  Taking line 2, the voice on the other end was anxious with delight.  “Our phones are ring off the hook!  People are calling to tell us a tree had fallen on our sign!  We love it!”  As soon that call ended, more calls were coming in, all with the same message. “Do you know a tree feel on your billboard!”  Ironically, there wasn’t a tree within 500 feet.  Never was.  But people believed their eyes.

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