Buck Naked

I remember when I was a kid, the state highway into town was one lane heading East and one lane heading West. That was it, 2 lanes. Now, it’s 2 lanes in each direction plus a turn lane in the middle. Construction to enlarge this road started about 20 years ago or so, I guess. I also remember that when I was a kid there were no billboards on that road, so now, of course, there are several. I guess it doesn’t really matter to me. It’s not like these billboards are blocking any nice view or anything. And sometimes the billboards are very entertaining.

For the past year or so, this local communications company has been putting up signs with this great marketing spiel. They find local people who have the same names as celebrities, put their photo up on the billboard with them holding a cell phone with the slogan, e.g., “Jennifer Lopez and Baycom Nextel” & “Stephen King and Baycom Nextel” & even “Harry Potter and Baycom Nextel”. I tell you, it’s truly a stroke of marketing genius. Everyone I’ve talked with about those billboards gets a big kick out of them.

I have to explain a little bit about something before I tell you my about my favorite Baycom billboard. In our neck of the woods, Nov. 15th is a Big Day. It’s the opening day of whitetail rifle hunting season. Deer hunting is not only a huge tradition ’round here, it’s Big Business. Our school district even takes that day off, and it’s assuredly a wise financial decision – they’d have to pay too many subs to cover teachers, staff and even bus drivers, all to keep school open on a day when half the student body would be absent.

So the newest Baycom billboard, and my favorite thus far, is a photo of a nice, big buck, probably a 12-point at least. Shoulders up, not a whole body shot. Beautiful. With the words, “Buck Naked and Baycom Nextel”.