A billboard for the website im.com features a Washington State ferry in Seattle's Fremont neighborhood. (Kurt Schlosser, GeekWire)
A billboard for the website im.com, in Seattle’s Fremont neighborhood, features a photo of a Washington State ferry. (Kurt Schlosser, GeekWire)

Billboards around Seattle and other U.S. cities, advertising a website called im.com, are promising to put you here, there and everywhere. But the only place we were left was confused after visiting the site and downloading the I’M app.

Giant, pretty pictures of Northwest attractions such as ferry boats have been popping up on roadside billboards around the city. The only text on the advertisements states “I’M Here” and “im.com.” A November post by the Daily Billboard blog features more billboard images (and confusion) around Los Angeles, and people in the Bay Area seem similarly confused by the billboard blitz there.

The website’s home page features a slideshow of more pretty pictures, including New York’s Empire State Building, a surfer and a fly fisherman. “I’M Here. I’M There. I’M Everywhere,” the site proclaims over the rotating images. OK, so who is where, and how and why did they get there? The site’s “about” tab doesn’t give much direction beyond telling you to get out and explore the world.

“I’M lets you explore and share the world around you. I’M uses your current location to find the most recent posts (called I’Ms) near you so you’ll always know what’s going on in your community,” the site explains. “While most technology pulls you away from real-world interactions, I’M wants you to get out, explore your world, and share your experiences. I’M doesn’t use any accounts, so you don’t need to worry about following the right people or being invited to a group. I’M is about getting out and enjoying life. From breaking news around the world to the hottest spots in town, I’M users are informed, inspired, and inspiring others! I’M looking forward to seeing what you do!”

The Aurora Bridge spans the distance beyond a cryptic billboard for an app. (Kurt Schlosser, GeekWire)
The Aurora Bridge spans the distance beyond a cryptic billboard for an app, right. (Kurt Schlosser, GeekWire)

The reviews in the iOS App Store, where I’M is holding steady with a one-star rating, revealed more users driven to download by the cryptic billboards, only to be left unimpressed. Clicking the “app support” link only takes users to the “about” text we noted above. There appears to be no way to contact the developers for help. GeekWire’s call to billboard company Clear Channel was not returned.

“I feel like I’m being punk’d,” wrote user Monkaducci in a review dated Nov. 12. “This app does nothing … A couple teenagers are in their mom’s basement laughing at whoever is downloading this app and whoever they got to pay for the billboards advertising it.”

User Jellyghost was attracted by neighborhood billboards but with a Dec. 16 review said it appeared all the money had been spent on branding and none was left over for the app.

Indeed, the app appears to just pull images from Instagram users posting in an area close to where an I’M user is currently located. In one “slide” we saw some pancakes from a nearby restaurant, and in another a couple dogs were playing at a daycare facility. It’s hardly the stuff that photographic daydreams are made of when it comes to social media.

Like what you're reading? Subscribe to GeekWire's free newsletters to catch every headline

Job Listings on GeekWork

Find more jobs on GeekWork. Employers, post a job here.