Montana Billboards Support Skyrocketing Cider Sales

Missoula, Montana - Across the state of Montana, cider is showing up big this summer… billboard BIG. Summer travelers can spot one of 9 billboards covering the state and funded through a Montana Department of Agriculture specialty crop grant. The billboards, purchased by the regional non-profit NW Cider Association in collaboration with Montana cideries, celebrates the state’s position as the fastest growing market for cider consumption in the Northwest.

This multi-month campaign promoting Montana cider kicked off in late April and will conclude in mid-September, garnering an anticipated 5 million views, fulfilling a long-time wishlist item for Montana cidermakers. This billboard is catching the eyes of big sky locals and tourists alike in Missoula, Bozeman, Helena and the Bitterroot and Flathead Valleys (billboard map). The text reads “Montana Cider,” followed by the playful tagline, “It's out there!" Design credit goes to Matthew LaRubbio, graphic designer and Co-Owner of Western Cider in Missoula.

The campaign is timely, as Montana boasted a 20% annual increase in cider sales in July 2024, making it the fastest growing market for cider consumption in the Northwest. The NW region is defined as MT, OR, WA, ID and British Columbia - the largest apple growing region in the country. National cider brand consumption is dipping but regional cider sales are skyrocketing. Montana, with only a half dozen cideries, generated $1.2M in annual cider sales as of July 2024. 

Viewers of the billboards can share their experience by taking a picture and tagging @nwcider on social media #MontanaCider