Who's Behind the Weird, Brat-Summer Billboard Near Mar-a-Lago?

New Times is getting to the bottom of the brat summer-style billboard off I-95 near Mar-a-Lago.

August 12, 2024

A puke-green sign off 10th Avenue and I-95 with the word "weird" appeared in Palm Beach County. Ballbazz screenshot via Reddit

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If you find yourself cruising in Palm Beach County a few miles from Mar-a-Lago, keep your eyes peeled for a big, bold, and unsparingly green billboard that simply reads "Weird." The design combines Kamala Harris' political rhetoric labeling Donald Trump "weird" with pop star Charlie XCX vibes, namely the green "brat" aesthetic that the British pop star has been flaunting with her latest album.

For those who might have missed it, Charli XCX kicked off this Kamala-brat saga July 21 when she tweeted, "kamala IS brat," giving a nod of approval to the Democratic presidential candidate. And just like that, the internet crowned Harris the queen of brat summer. Her campaign team was quick to jump on the trend, transforming their social media presence with that signature slime-green look from Charli's album cover.

kamala IS brat
— Charli (@charli_xcx) July 22, 2024

So, naturally, we are left wondering: who's behind the digital billboard echoing Harris' campaign messages?

Now, the billboard isn't in just any random location. It's off 10th Avenue and I-95 in Lake Worth Beach, in a hotspot for political signage. A 12-minute drive from Trump's stomping grounds at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, the billboard is not far from the airport where the former president and current Republican presidential candidate flies in and out with his private jet.

It's located a few blocks away from Gaslight Business Park, appropriately enough.

There is a brat billboard on the way to Mar-A-Lago in Florida
byu/Balbazz incharlixcx

This billboard is surfacing on Reddit on the heels of Harris's move to capitalize on branding Trump and his running-mate J.D. Vance as "weird." Her campaign's press releases have used the word repeatedly as a tag for her opponents, calling Trump "old and quite weird," and saying, "JD Vance is weird."

"No, we're not weird. We're very solid people," Trump recently responded. "I think we're the opposite of weird. They’re weird."

Where’s Weirdo. Lots of photos. Chip in https://t.co/tLqBQPT6ep pic.twitter.com/58BECNanE5
— Claude Taylor (@TrueFactsStated) August 12, 2024

After some cursory sleuthing, we found that pro-Harris political action committee Mad Dog leases space on a trio of digital billboards at the 10th Avenue site and appears to be running the "weird" green ads.

The PAC has similar political billboards on display in several states. One reads, "Orange is the new weird," while another has Trump in a red-and-white Waldo suit with the caption, "Where's Weirdo."

According to Mad Dog's site, the PAC is run by Democratic political operative and erstwhile travel photographer Claude Taylor. It's mission statement: "Fight Fascism. Stop Trump."

The outfit sells everything from "Fuck Trump" beachballs to a "Trump blows" whistle to a Trump action figure, made in China, "no moral compass included."

New Times reached out to the PAC but has not received a response.

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Though she's a Jersey girl by birth, Zulekha Pitts, known as Zee by her family and friends, has deep roots in Florida. Before coming to New Times, she worked as a content creator and digital producer for USA Today and content producer for 3TV and CBS 5 News in Phoenix and also has experience as a digital host for the jewelry home-shopping channel Gem Shopping Network in Atlanta. A graduate of Rutgers University with a degree in Journalism and Media Studies, Zee is wrapping up a master's in communication at Villanova.

Contact: Zulekha Pitts