California billboards promote tourism by showing the landscape behind the ads.

An artist is sprucing up California billboards by having them align with the local landscape if viewed from the right perspective.

The installations, spotted by Adweek, were created to draw attention away from advertisements to the wider world, all part of a project called ‘Desert X’.

The unique outdoor advertising drive has touched down in several places in California is promoted thusly on the dedicated website: “In a cinematic experience animated by driving along Gene Autry Trail, viewers will encounter a series of billboards featuring photographs of the very mountains towards which they are heading.

“In the language of billboard advertising this kind of reading is referred to as a Burma-Shave after the shaving cream company of the same name who used sequential placement to create messaging that could be read only from a moving vehicle.

“Within the desert empire of roadside signs, Bolande chooses to advertise the very thing so often overlooked. Looking up at the billboards our attention is drawn back to the landscape itself.”

The group is dedicated the displaying the beauty of the desert and has held several unique exhibitions doing so in the region. Check out more work from the group on their Facebook page.

Please join us for guided tours of Desert X installations, every weekend until April 30, 2017.
Buy tickets here: http://www.ticketderby.com/event/?id=250051&mode=

Bus tours will take you through the Coachella Valley to see a selection of works by Desert X artists. Every Saturday there will be a morning and afternoon tour, and every Sunday a morning tour. Tours are led by trained docents who will share the history of Desert X and details about the site-specific works. Each tour will take approximately four hours. We encourage you to bring water, sunscreen, a jacket, and comfortable shoes appropriate for walking across rough terrain.

Morning Tour - of northern installations
Arrive: 8:45am
Depart: 9:00am Return: ~ 1:00pm
Depart from parking lot of Ace Hotel & Swim Club, just outside front lobby.

Afternoon Tour - of southern installations
Arrive: 1:15pm
Depart: 1:30pm
Return: ~ 5:30pm
Depart from parking lot of Ace Hotel & Swim Club, just outside front lobby.

Each tour is an individually ticketed event. If you purchase both the north and south tours, you will receive a free Desert X tote bag!