Baltimore ReptiCon’s Billboard Rhetoric

Micah Polsky

ENGL393 Mon, Wed 5:30-6:45

11/21/2023
 The idea of being in a building full of snakes, lizards, frogs, bugs, and spiders might seem

like a nightmare to some, or just a strange experience to others. For those interested in reptiles

and other exotic animals, that building would be a perfect place to spend a weekend. A reptile

show is just that. Reptile shows like ReptiCon are events where pet owners, breeders, artists, and

anyone with an interest in the animals on display can share their passion for reptiles and

amphibians. The style and presentation of the billboard are eye-catching, its placement along a

busy road allows it to target more people, and it appeals to urgency and practicality with clear

logistical information. Finally, the billboard uses a picture of just one of the animals that could be

seen at the show to draw even more attention from adults and children alike.

The billboard pictured is an announcement for Baltimore ReptiCon 2023, taking place at

the Timonium fairgrounds on September 23 and 24. The most obvious part of the billboard is the

word “REPTILE,” written in capital letters using a bold yellow font on a black background.

Below it, in much smaller print, it reads “& exotic animal show,” stating exactly what the

billboard is advertising in more detail. Below it, in green text that contrasts a bit less than the

yellow, is the location of the show, which is then followed by the dates and times in yellow

again. At the bottom of the billboard is the ReptiCon website, written in a stylized font in yellow

and green. On the left of the billboard is a picture of a lizard— more specifically, a bearded

dragon. The bearded dragon and the “reptile” text are the most prominent elements of the

billboard and what people are most likely to remember once the digital billboard switches to the

next advertisement.

Billboards like this one advertising ReptiCon are meant to be large and eye-catching.

They’re placed on busy or long roads where they’re more likely to attract attention from drivers

and passengers. Billboards exist to convince the viewer to believe something, go somewhere,
purchase something, or a combination of these. A digital billboard can be changed more easily

than a traditional billboard and will often cycle between several different advertisements and

announcements. Using the medium of a digital billboard involves some different affordances.

One of the advantages of a digital billboard is that it doesn’t need to be printed out and installed

like a physical billboard would. This eliminates the need for custom fabric or vinyl printing,

which reduces the overall cost of renting the same square footage of billboard space (Billboards

In Baltimore 2023). However, because it may be part of a sequence of other advertisements in a

cycle, it may be visible for less time and reach fewer people than a static billboard would.

The overall purpose of this billboard is to attract people to attend ReptiCon. The most

direct way it does this is to inform people of the fact a reptile show will happen, and the time and

place it’s occurring. By having the word “reptile” as the largest and most eye-catching part of the

design, and utilizing contrasting colors of yellow against black, the billboard can easily capture

the attention of anyone who might be interested in reptiles and who might want to look more at a

giant sign that says “reptile.” The photograph of a lizard, specifically a bearded dragon, provides

an unusual visual that one wouldn’t expect to see on a billboard. This billboard does not seem to

be trying to attract the attention of people who aren’t already interested in exotic animals. Its

target audience is people who like reptiles, but who may not know about the show happening. A

significant portion of this target audience may be children riding in a car driven by their

parents/guardians, whose attention would be caught by the word “reptile” and who would be able

to look more closely for information about said reptiles. If they are the kind of child that would

know what a bearded dragon is, they might point this out to their parents.

In addition to these most obvious visual elements, meant to catch someone’s attention,

the billboard must also inform the viewer. This billboard informs by providing the location and
timing of the event, and some additional details and a website to visit. The second-largest text on

the board elaborates on the word “reptile” above it, specifying that this is a reptile and exotic

animal show. With that information, even someone who isn’t specifically into reptiles would

know they might find some other animal that piques their interest. The location of the event,

Timonium Fairgrounds, is written below this in a medium green. Green text doesn’t contrast as

well against the black as yellow text does, but it provides some diversity in hue to break up what

would otherwise be a lot of yellow. Below that, once again in the brighter yellow, is information

about the dates and times of the show. These would be important to see at a glance so that

anyone driving would be able to quickly evaluate whether they’d even be able to attend,

regardless of interest. Finally, the bottom of the billboard has a web address to the ReptiCon

website, so anyone who wants more detailed information that can be accessed repeatedly would

be able to find it there. The web address is written in a unique green and yellow font, which

while visually interesting, isn’t as clear or easy to read as the rest of the billboard. This seems to

be a tradeoff in favor of displaying the official ReptiCon logo.

The placement of the billboard seems a little counterintuitive. It’s along I-83, which is a

highway that runs North-South from Baltimore City up to Pennsylvania. The billboard is placed

facing the southbound direction. The Timonium Fairgrounds, where Repticon is held, are north

of the city in the opposite direction that drivers would be facing if they saw this billboard

head-on. Even though it would only be a 25-minute drive at most to turn around and go to the

fairgrounds, it would be more of a hassle than to change route to go to Timonium from the

northbound direction. However, it’s unlikely that this billboard is the only one that exists

advertising the event. There were probably other billboards like this one closer to the

fairgrounds, concentrated on routes leading towards them rather than away.

 The use of the bearded dragon photograph on the billboard is an important stylistic

choice. The picture breaks up the text with a visual element, making it more interesting to look

at. It’s also easy to make “eye contact” with the lizard, which is a good way of catching people’s

attention. The question then becomes, why a bearded dragon? Why not a snake, or crocodilian,

or turtle? Audience attitude may be a reason why a photograph of a lizard was chosen instead of

a snake. Snakes tend to provoke instinctual fear or disgust in people, regardless of whether such

fear is actually warranted or not. Far fewer people are afraid of lizards. Bearded dragons are a

species of lizard and the most common pet reptile in the United States (Valdez, Using google

trends to determine current, past, and future trends in the Reptile Pet Trade 2021), sold in most

pet stores as a beginner or intermediate reptile. However, for something as eye-catching as a

billboard, they don’t seem like an obvious choice. Bearded dragons are not particularly colorful,

and the one pictured on the billboard is in its natural colors of tan and sandy brown. Chameleons,

green anoles, and many species of gecko are other examples of lizards that are much more

colorful and seem much more “exotic.” Showing a common pet lizard like a bearded dragon may

have also been a way to make the reptile show seem approachable and familiar to people who

don’t already know about those animals much, but may recognize a bearded dragon as something

they’ve seen in a pet store or at someone’s house.

Overall, the billboard seems to do an adequate job of convincing those who see it to

attend Baltimore ReptiCon. Bold text in bright, eye-catching colors makes it stand out. The use

of a bearded dragon as a visual element, while not as exciting as some other reptiles might be, is

a safe and familiar option for the target audience. Finally, it gives simple and clear information

pertaining to time and place so anyone interested would know where to go. It would not be
surprising if this billboard had gotten at least a few people to attend ReptiCon who otherwise

might not have gone.

 Citations

Billboards In Baltimore. Billboards In My City. (2023).

https://www.billboardsin.com/maryland/baltimore/

Valdez, J. W. (2021). Using google trends to determine current, past, and future trends in

the Reptile Pet Trade. Animals, 11(3), 676. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11030676