Ghastly site lurks on highway

What's scarier than the Clinton-Trump presidential election?

It could be seeing oversized pictures of each candidate every day on billboards high above on Interstate 275 in Tampa.

That sight, to many, is downright horrific.

But this isn't a political campaign. Instead, it's a bipartisan advertisement for Scream-A-Geddon, a pop-up horror park in Dade City, Pasco County, that includes six haunted houses. Panels on both sides of the highway feature the headline, “Scarier than...” followed by larger-than-life images of Trump (southbound) and Clinton (northbound) glaring across the road from each other.

The campaign, from Tampa-based Schifino Lee, stems from wanting do something bold for Scream-A-Geddon, which competes with Busch Garden's Howl-O-Scream and Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando, says Schifino Lee Principal Ben Lee.

“Scream-A-Geddon, as an independent, has to do something different,” Lee tells Coffee Talk. “They have to be edgy to get someone's attention.”

The campaign, Lee adds, has been a big success. Some 6 million drivers are expected to pass through both signs during the month-long campaign that ends Oct. 31. Rates for a billboard in that area, depending on the season, demand and length of the contract, go for about $5,000 a month, so on a per-drive basis, it's a scary-good deal. And a Facebook post on the billboards had more than 3,000 likes and at least 900 shares through Oct. 18, says Lee.
Schifino Lee clients include Black Rock Bar + Grill, WellCare Health Plans and the Tampa Museum of Art.