For three days, motorists in Oregon were treated to quite the surprising sight when driving past billboards for the Oregon Lottery. Rather than displaying the current jackpot, the LED screens on the Powerball billboards showed an animated furry gif from August 12-14. Reddit user “hanginwithmrpooper” (a riff on the 1990’s sitcom “Hangin’ With Mr. Cooper”) first brought the silliness to the public’s attention earlier this week. Another user then figured out that the gif was made and posted on the r/furry subreddit by artist “@SH_4RK” last year. The artist is not responsible for the billboard hijacking. Though several instances of the hacked LED boards were on Oregon Lottery billboards, they occurred all over the country. People posted other sightings on X, which eventually caught the attention of @SH_4RK, who joked that he should make more gifs.
Meadow Outdoor Advertising, the owner of at least one of the Powerball billboards, said that the LED display is the responsibility of Daktronics. Meadow Outdoor Advertising manager Betsy Hege told KOIN 6 News that her company has no control over the screen and what may or may not end up displayed on it. “Full digital screens are the responsibility of the owner operator, but the LEDs like this are controlled by the client,” Hege said. “We all work hard to prevent hacks and have protocols should it happen.” All the Oregon Lottery billboards were fixed the night of August 14.
The incident of the furry gif appearing on the Oregon Lottery billboards was a humorous and unexpected occurrence that caught the attention of many passersby. While some may have been disappointed to not see the Powerball jackpot displayed, the animated furry gif provided a moment of levity and amusement during their commute.
The Reddit user who first spotted the furry gif on the billboards, hanginwithmrpooper, shared the sighting with the online community, sparking a conversation about the origins of the gif and how it ended up on the LED screens. It was discovered that the gif was created by artist @SH_4RK and originally posted on the r/furry subreddit. Despite the artist not being involved in the billboard hijacking, the incident brought attention to their work and prompted jokes about creating more gifs for similar pranks.
The widespread nature of the hacked LED boards, which appeared on Oregon Lottery billboards as well as others across the country, raised questions about the security and control of such displays. Meadow Outdoor Advertising, the company responsible for at least one of the billboards, clarified that the LED display is managed by Daktronics and controlled by the client. While efforts are made to prevent hacks and there are protocols in place to address such incidents, the unexpected appearance of the furry gif highlighted the potential vulnerabilities of digital advertising screens.
Overall, the incident involving the furry gif on the Oregon Lottery billboards served as a lighthearted moment amidst the daily routine of motorists and passersby. While the display may have deviated from its intended purpose of promoting the Powerball jackpot, it brought a sense of humor and surprise to those who encountered it. As the billboards were promptly fixed and returned to their original state, the brief appearance of the animated furry gif left a lasting impression on those who witnessed the unexpected sight on their daily commute.