The “Hi, I’m Roy” Billboard That Broke the Internet

A giant white billboard in Times Square just says: “hi i’m roy im 21 / this was very expensive / pls buy my thing / cluely.com.” It’s simple, funny, and looks like it was written by a friend, not a brand.

Why this works

• Radical honesty builds instant trust
• Humor lowers skepticism
• You can read and “get it” in 2 seconds
• Feels human in a sea of over-designed ads
• Self-aware tone makes it shareable

Real-world examples

• Liquid Death sells water by mocking traditional marketing
• RyanAir wins Twitter with brutally honest humor
• Duolingo thrives on chaotic, relatable TikToks
• Airtable’s early ads went viral for painfully simple honesty

Sometimes the smartest move in marketing is to act like you’re not doing marketing at all.