In a city as immensely walkable, densely populated, and tourist-friendly as San Francisco, outdoor advertising is easy to come by. What's not easy is making them distinctly memorable.

And with the large number of creative software companies that call San Francisco home, they are commonly responsible for some of the best and most attention-grabbing outdoor campaigns.

Let's take a look at some of the unforgettable outdoor software advertising of all time in the City by the Bay.

'Thinking about moving to Miami?'

In February 2021, AdQuick was responsible for a series of unique (and enraging depending on who you ask) billboards for Francis Suarez, the major of Miami who was attempting to lure talented San Franciscans to his town.

The ads were designed to resemble a tweet directly from the mayor: "Thinking about moving to Miami? DM me."

The San Francisco Chronicle reported that the ad, large and loud sitting off the Ninth Street and Civic Center exit on U.S. Highway 101, was funded by Shervin Pishevar, an investor who, you guessed it, owns a home in Miami Beach.

It was an inspired attempt to capitalize on the high cost of living in San Francisco, especially during the pandemic. Other cities in the United States also hoped to inspire tech-savvy workers to spread their wings.

No word on how many DM-ed Suarez about a job.

'Ask Your Developer'

Twilio's three-word advertisement shows that the best things can come in small practices. With three words - "Ask Your Developer" - as well as a small logo on stark red, the ad practically launched the technology start-up from nowhere to household-name recognition.

Simple and simply effective.

Brex Goes All In

Going for the opposite approach compared to Twilio, Brex advertised its corporate card for start-up by basically blanketing San Francisco with ads through an integrated campaign in various - and seemingly all - places.

It seemed to be very cost-effective, with about $300,000 used to cover the city for the campaign.

Rippling vs. Gusto

Billboard battle!

In 2020, employee onboarding tech start-up Rippling debuted a billboard that directly challenged fellow human relations company Gusto: "Outgrowing Gusto? Presto change-o."

Ouch. Gusto got its revenge by issuing a cease-and-desist order, forcing Rippling and Clear Channel Outdoor to take down the billboard.

Adding to the drama: Rippling claims that the ad is technically true because several of its customers have left Gusto to work with them.

Tickled Pink

Ridesharing company Lyft takes pride in its distinctive, bright pink logo that helps separate it from the ridesharing pack. In 2016, it took its pink love to the next level.

Lyft decided to celebrate (and uniquely advertise) leasing a historic building for its new hub for Lyft drivers in San Francisco by painting a giant car pink that's sitting on an even more giant pole atop the hub next to Highway 101.

The van once read "Bell Plumbing." Now it just reads, really, really pink. At the hub, drivers can hang out and take breaks but also take classes from the company.

Visit https://www.adquick.com/billboard-locations/california/san-francisco for some of the most popular billboard locations in San Francisco.