Just because a company has a large pop advertising campaign at their disposal doesn't mean they can't push their boundaries. Giant signs and physical forms of advertising can be augmented and approached creatively.
Consider the way that furniture giant Ikea made use of a billboard recently to try and break the mold and create a distinctive impression. The company is well-known for its bright yellow-and-blue logo, but those familiar colors don't factor into the ad at all.
Instead, the "RGB" display created, in a collaboration with two different companies, uses optical tricks to challenge the viewer while still drawing them in. As AdWeek chronicled in February, the billboard features three different messages overlapping each other but written in different inks.
The board, which was close to the ground to encourage user interaction, also featured three different light bulbs that would each single out one of the messages when turned on. To see the entire content of the sign, visitors need to turn on and off all three lights one after a time.
PSFK has also commented on another kind of ad campaign from Ikea that has used color and coordination to surprise viewers. Even though these posters have logos for the company visible, they are in the bottom right hand corner. Most of the space is taken up by a single color, which hides the outline of a piece of furniture and becomes more visible once a person gets closer.
Your business may have images and ideas they want to impress upon the public, and you could use different creative designs to surprise people with them rather than present them outright. Custom made signs can give you the chance to play with these elements in a way that creates memorable pieces.