By Kristina Hernandez, Redlands Daily Facts

REDLANDS >> KCAL-FM (96.7) is a winner.

Just ask Lamar Advertising, which recently named the Redlands-based radio station the winner of its national creative competition to incorporate inflatables onto a billboard.

The station came up with the winning idea in a brainstorming session with radio personalities and staff in just under two days, said Daryl Norsell, program director and radio personality for the station.


Redlands-based radio station KCAL-FM was the winner of Lamar Advertising Company's billboard competition that asked clients to come up with a winning billboard design that incorporated inflatables.

“We turned this around fast,” he said.

The billboard, which stands at 10 feet by 14 feet, shows the station’s slogan, “KCAL Rocks!” next to a giant inflatable hand throwing the “rock horns.” It sits off the 10 freeway just west of the Cedar Avenue exit near Bloomington.

The idea for the contest was to showcase new technology to Lamar clients, said the company.

KCAL-FM was immediately on the mind of Amanda Buchholz, a Lamar account executive who presented KCAL’s entry to those judging the competition.

“I immediately thought of KCAL when I heard about it,” she said in a news release. “They’ve always had a fun approach to their advertising and don’t shy away from taking chances on new ideas.”

Before the winning concept was chosen, the brainstorming session had parties throwing out a number ideas from an inflatable guitar to an inflatable Ozzy Osbourne. The station settled on the “rock horns” because it signified what is commonly seen in rock shows when the crowd is pumped and ready to rock, Norsell said.

“It was pretty fun, and everyone was on the same page rather quickly,” he said.

The billboard will be on display through the month, but organizers of the contest have said its run could be extended.

But in the meantime, fans of the station are taking notice, Norsell said.

“The immediate response from listeners is, ‘Alright, I love it. It’s the coolest thing,’” he said. “All that we do here is based on them. ... They are the reason we exist, really. And we’re celebrating our 45th birthday here, and if you think about how many generations of people growing up who listened to KCAL, that’s the driving force behind everything we do.”