In 2015, the late-night television landscape changed forever when Stephen Colbert officially took over The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on CBS.
To celebrate the launch in a way that could not be ignored, CBS partnered with AArrow Sign Spinners for a massive street-level campaign across Los Angeles.
And we mean massive.
Our team deployed 20 professional sign spinners dressed as Stephen Colbert himself, complete with suits, glasses, and signature late-night energy.
The campaign hit high-traffic intersections all over LA, turning everyday commutes into live entertainment while building anticipation for the new era of late-night television.
At the time, the campaign became so noticeable that it even made its way onto The Late Late Show with James Corden.
During an episode, James Corden joked about CBS heavily promoting Colbert’s debut while pretending his own show also received some of the advertising budget.
As Entertainment Weekly described it:
“CBS hired sign spinners to promote the new Late Show.”
The segment then showed Corden standing alongside one of our sign spinners while holding his own handwritten promo sign for The Late Late Show.
Full Article Here : https://ew.com/article/2015/09/09/james-corden-stephen-colbert/
That campaign became one of the most talked-about street marketing activations of the time, blending performance, comedy, and branding into something people genuinely wanted to stop and watch.
Now, over a decade later, we are looking back at that unforgettable moment as Stephen Colbert signs off during the final week of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, bringing an end to an incredible 33-year run of The Late Show franchise on CBS.
From historic television moments to major brand activations, AArrow Sign Spinners has always believed the best advertising is the kind people cannot ignore.
And in 2015, Los Angeles definitely could not ignore 20 Stephen Colberts spinning signs on street corners.
