Billboards (was Why Advertising Sucks)

From: Brandi Jasmine <brandi_at_brandijasmine.com>
Date: Tue 03 Apr 2001 09:06:16 -0600

DEE HAUCK <dhauck_at_kingcanopy.com> WROTE:

> Who says billboards don't have the annoyance factor of
> any other kind of ad??? They're not in your face?

TO WHICH GERI KONSTANTIN <geri_at_virtualadv.com> REPLIED:

>From your tone, I gather you don't like advertising in
>general, therefore the annoyance factor of ads to you is
>greater from the start. But NO billboards are not in
>your face - they are in your peripheral vision if you
>are looking at the road which is what you should be doing.

In Toronto there is a stretch of the Gardiner Expressway
that is quickly becoming a "BillBoard Las Vegas Strip".
Every month they get bigger, louder and brighter. I am a
bit light-sensitive, but there is one by a local TV
station that is so bright and flashy, it gives me a
headache if I am exposed to it long enough. I've put my
sunglasses on, on a cloudy day, because of that billboard.
It is most DEFINITELY a driving hazard. It is like a big
TV screen with live action snippets from their promotions.
It *cannot* be ignored.

I appreciate an effective ad especially if it's creative
and artful, but inthis case I argue there is a potential
danger. I think there should be a limit set on how bright
these things can be, especially when they are set on an
expressway where people routinely drive by at 140 kph!

Taking it back to online advertising, this is one area
where a lot of companies are under-using their web
properties. I've often seen billboards for companies
with phone numbers where a URL would be a LOT easier
to remember.

Kind regards,

Brandi Jasmine
Writer, Digital Photographer, Illustrator
        www.brandijasmine.com
www.astrology.ca - www.twostar.com
      brandi_at_brandijasmine.com



Received on Tue Apr 03 2001 - 10:06:16 CDT