Photo from T3.

I’ve heard of effective billboard campaigns, even for nonprofit groups. But this Texas billboard crusade is bringing the marketing of social services to another level. Like 50-feet high.

A homeless man lived on the billboard for a couple of days. The sign says, “I am Danny. I am homeless. I AM HERE -‡”. Literally. With a plea to donate ten dollars via Twitter.

We always talk about how homelessness is hidden from our sight. We avert our eyes, ignore their pleas. We walk on the other side of the street. Roll our windows up. Anything to prevent the seeing, touching, or smelling of homelessness.

But it’s difficult to ignore a massive billboard, especially when you see a homeless man living up there on that dangerous ledge.

And the campaign worked for Danny and his wife. The organization that is promoting this “I am here” campaign raised enough ten dollar bills to house them.

Kudos for this agency to think outside of the marketing box. They’ve educated the community, let people see homelessness as a human issue, and housed a couple.

But really. Will our society only help hurting people when they see them perched on a ledge of a gigantic billboard? Is this what our compassion is coming to?

Forget the idea that we should respond to hurting people because it is just the right thing to do. Only respond when we see them dangling 50 feet in the air right before our eyes.

Of course, many communities are banning new billboards. That will certainly hinder this creative marketing campaign.