How a Local Reno Business Added $50K in Sales With a Mobile Billboard Campaign - And The Painful Truth Behind It

Home
Blog
How a Local Reno Business Added $50K in Sales With a Mobile Billboard Campaign

The Story That Changed Everything

Most case studies start with numbers. Ours starts with pain.

Because behind every business breakthrough is a human story - of doubt, of betrayal, of invisible nights wondering if it's even worth it.

Our client felt invisible in the marketplace. They had ads running, referrals trickling in, but growth had flatlined. They confessed over coffee: "We feel like no one even notices us anymore."

I knew that feeling all too well. Because I had lived it.

My Story: Losing Myself to Find God's Vision
When I went through my divorce, I lost everything I thought defined me. My identity, my sense of being wanted, even my confidence that I'd ever be loved again.

There were mornings I'd look in the mirror and not recognize the man staring back. I felt invisible. Replaceable. Forgotten.

But in the midst of that pain, I did the only thing I knew to do: I clung to God. And in that place of surrender, a vision was born. Ads In Motion wasn't just another business idea - it was God's assignment for me.

A way to take the broken pieces of invisibility and give them back as visibility for others. A way to help Reno businesses be seen.

That's why this campaign mattered. Not just because it made $50K. But because it represented redemption - for me, and for the clients we serve.
Phillip's Story: The Partner Who Broke the Dream
My partner, Phillip, had his own invisible battle. When he started in construction, he carried the weight of building something from nothing.

He poured his nights into systems, structure, and chasing steady workflow. But instead of being lifted by partners, he was dragged down. He had surrounded himself with people who claimed they'd help - but in reality, they sabotaged his growth.

Phillip told me, "I felt powerless. Like no matter how hard I pushed, I was building on quicksand."

That experience carved doubt deep into him. Yet, it also sharpened his resolve: to build alliances only with people and strategies that truly amplified growth.

That's what made this mobile billboard campaign so personal for us. Because we knew what it felt like to be invisible. And we refused to let another Reno business suffer in silence.

📍 The Campaign - Turning Pain Into Presence

They had tried everything: Facebook ads, Google search, local flyers, community sponsorships. Revenues were flat. Margins were shrinking. Leads felt cheaper-but customers rarely converted.
Then one evening, in a quiet moment between dinner dishes and kids' bedtime, I sat across from the owner (let's call her Julia). She looked me in the eye and said, "We feel like we're invisible."
That hit me hard. I realized that even with good messaging, your audience might never see you. So we flipped the playbook.
Enter AIM's mobile billboard campaign. And within weeks, $50,000 in new sales flowed in.
But this isn't just numbers. It's a story of sacrifice, belief, heartbreak, and rebirth.

What We Did Differently

Mapped high-traffic Reno corridors (Virginia St, McCarran, Double R ).
Captured event crowds (Reno Aces games, Reno's Rodeo, Hot August Nights).
Repeated loops through residential neighborhoods so locals saw the brand multiple times a week.
Crafted bold copy that didn't "fit in" but demanded a double-take.

This wasn't advertising. This was a public declaration: "We exist, and we're here to stay."

🎯 The Results That Proved It Worked

$50,000 in direct sales uplift within weeks.
Increased foot traffic - customers walking in saying, "I saw you driving home!"
Skyrocketed credibility - being on a billboard made the brand feel like a household name.

And maybe the most important? The owners no longer felt invisible. They felt seen. But beyond the metrics - this campaign changed belief. It signaled: "We are here. We are bold. We deserve attention."
Why It Worked (More Than You Think)
Forced Attention vs. Permission-Based Ads
You don't swipe left on a billboard. You can't scroll past it.
Credibility by Visibility
"If they can afford billboards, they must be serious."
Memory Anchoring
Repeated exposure on the same route cements recall.

QUIZ: How Visible Is Your Business Really?
(Answer these in your head - or better, jot them down.)
Current Situation
What are your current marketing channels?
Which ones are underperforming?
How do people find you - or are you just hoping they stumble upon you?
Problems
Why do you believe leads aren't converting?
What is the main gap - visibility, trust, recall?
Implications
What happens if visibility stays low for 6-12 months?
Are you silently burning ad spend? How much?
Payoff
What would an extra $50K do for your business right now? Staff expansion? Debt relief? Breathing room?
Solution
What would happen if you stopped chasing clicks and instead forced attention - through strategies like mobile billboards?

💥 Score yourself: 0-5 in how confident and strong are you doing in each question.
0-5 "yes" answers → You're invisible and losing ground fast.

6-10 → You're active but blending in.

11+ →You're visible and trusted.

👉 If you scored 6 or lower, book a free 30-min Visibility Audit with AIM. We'll show you exactly where your marketing is leaking attention. Along with free resources and an action plan to gain traction and results quickly.
(Calendly)

What the Experts Would Do

✅ Alex Hormozi: "The path to 1,000x ROI is clarity, overdelivering, and relentless iteration."

He'd spot that the billboard campaign gives clarity of message in a chaotic media landscape.
Would demand tracking every dollar of ROI.
Would push businesses to double down once proof is found - scale the winner, kill the noise.
Would reframe the billboard not as an "expense" but as a cash machine when tied to offers.

✅ Sabri Suby: "Flux marketing and obsessive acquisition loops."

Would use the billboard as top-of-funnel bait - then retarget everyone who drove past it through geofenced digital ads.
Would demand copy that makes people feel something - curiosity, FOMO, or pain.
Would treat Reno's events (Hot August Nights, Rib Cook-Off) as "attention spikes" to time campaigns around.

Why Reno Is The Perfect Ground and how to apply it

Combine a local billboard presence with hyperlocal retargeting (e.g. people who drove past your billboard get a special SMS ad).
Use seasonal spikes - e.g., time a push around major Reno events (Hot August Nights, local concerts, sporting events). (Did you know "Hot August Nights" draws hundreds of thousands? (Wikipedia))
Double-down on storytelling on your billboard - a bold, emotional "why you" that cuts through.

What's Happening in Reno/Sparks That shows Reno is evolving
Local Momentum - Visit Reno Tahoe just won "Website of the Year" at the AAF Best of the West awards, showing the region is investing in bold marketing. (Nevada Business Magazine)
Community attention - ThisIsReno recently covered the $1B arena project at Grand Sierra Resort. That kind of development drives traffic and opens up fresh eyes for out-of-home media. (This Is Reno)
Community attention - RGJ reported that J Resort confirms $130 Million in new development. Additional developments the drives traffic and bringing people here going to be looking for trusted and credible businesses (RGJ)
These aren't just events - they're billboard fuel.
✅ The Final Word: From Invisible to Aimpossible to ignore
If you've ever felt powerless in business - doubting if customers will come, wondering if your ads are just wasted dollars - you're not alone.

We've been there. We've lived it. But here's what most people miss: invisibility isn't a sign to quit. It's a signal to shift how you show up.

Stop whispering into digital feeds. Start shouting in the streets.

👉 Book your free AIM strategy session here - and let's turn your invisibility into an unignorable presence.