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GREENSBORO — When Trip Durham put his picture on a billboard outside Greensboro, he wanted to get a message out. He hoped it would resonate with someone driving down Interstate 40.

But when NHK, a Japanese public broadcasting station, caught onto his story, that audience got much larger.

“I can’t even imagine the idea of a four-minute story about my situation running inside 100 million households in a foreign country,” Durham said.

He was just looking for a job.

As associate athletics director at Elon University, Durham spent 14 years handling marketing, event operations, advertising and public relations. In March, when his department was restructured, he lost his job.

So he did what people normally do when they get laid off. He updated his resume, put out calls and looked for contacts. When the normal stuff didn’t work, he decided to play to his strengths, take a risk and market himself.

“I think I’ve done a very good job over the years, branding and marketing organizations,” he said. “And I felt like I just needed to take some of those practices and apply them to my situation.”

He started a Web site, a sleek page where a video of Durham pops up to welcome visitors in his distinct, broadcast style. Links lead to his biography, clips and resume.

Then he rented the board.

On June 24 and 25, he put a 10-by-40 message on the LED billboard outside Replacements Limited: YOUR NEXT GREAT EMPLOYEE NEEDS TO BE TRIP DURHAM.

“I tried to figure out what the best impact would be at 75 mph, 80 if you’re in a rush to go somewhere,” he said.

His message showed for 8 seconds every minute and was expected to reach up to 100,000 cars a day. In the following 48 hours, it sparked 3,500 hits on his site.

After a few small changes to the image, he rented the board on Wednesday for another 12 hours. This time, a Japanese television crew showed up to watch.

Nami Kodaka, a producer at the station’s Washington bureau, interviewed Durham as part of a series on how Americans are finding work during the recession. The interview with NHK, Japan’s largest broadcaster, brought Durham a free 30 minutes with his ad frozen on the board — an unexpected bonus.

Kodaka said Durham’s story would be encouraging to Japanese people who are facing similar economic challenges but would never dream of promoting themselves like he has. Being that forward, she said, would be culturally taboo.

“This is really American … ,” she said. “The economy is the same in Japan, but people don’t step outside and say they’re available for hire on a billboard.”

Durham said some of the most unexpected feedback has come from friends who saw the billboard while driving down I-40.

“A lot of people that know me asked for reimbursement from AAA because they had to be pulled out of the ditch on the side of the highway after seeing it,” he said.

The billboard has sparked a few interviews, but so far, no jobs.

Depending on the feedback from Wednesday, Durham said he may purchase more time on the board. He’s hopeful his unconventional approach will pay off.

“It only takes one person to call and say, 'I think we have something for you,’ ” he said.

Contact Tricia L. Nadolny at 373-7028 or tricia.nadolny@news-record.com