Shapchat billboard
Snapchat billboard along Interstate 99 in Seattle.

There’s nothing hip or trendy about billboards, but that’s not stopping ultra-cool California company Snapchat from getting the word out the good old fashioned way.

Snapchat has been throwing up bright yellow billboards in tech hubs like New York and San Francisco over the past few months. Now, you can add Seattle to that list, too.

The billboards recently popped up in Seattle and almost immediately starting causing a stir.

We’ve reached out to Snapchat to ask what the billboards mean and if they indicate any special plans for the Seattle area. We haven’t heard back yet, but we’ll update this post if we do.

Big, static billboards on the side of the road does seem like an unusual choice for a company known for pioneering ephemeral messaging, where photos self destruct after 10 seconds. The company has been on a tear recently, turning the conventional mold for messaging apps on its head and emerging as one of the next all stars in the social media realm. According to its own stats, 60 percent of 13- to 34-year-olds smartphone users are now Snapchatters.

It’s completely possible the billboards are just part of a normal advertising campaign, or maybe Snapchat is trying to stir up interest as it gets ready to become the most recent California tech star to open a Seattle outpost.

It’s impossible to say for now, but the ad’s presence has certainly caught our attention.

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