Billboards can advertise — but they can also evangelize. Last week in Philadelphia, Dave Cline purchased a billboard in the hope of landing a date — or two. Pictured with his cat, the 28-year-old long-haired love seeker claims to be a good cook with normal hobbies.
“I hope they like me for me and not being on a billboard,” Cline said. Billboard advertising dates back to the 1830s when entertainer and artist Jared Bell created the first one for the Barnum and Bailey Circus. Nearly two centuries later, outdoor advertising continues to evolve.
Official estimates put the number of billboards in the United States at just over 350,000, though the number is likely much higher if you figure in rural advertising on barns and other structures. Colorado Springs has well over a thousand of them. While traditional billboard growth has been stagnant, digital billboards grew by 44% last year.
With less labor and the ability to change advertisements every few seconds, the medium is likely to grow exponentially in the years to come. Billboard advertising has been a controversial subject for years. The “Highway Beautification Act of 1965” was passed to address concerns the signs were polluting otherwise pretty views.
In retrospect, the legislation made a bad situation even worse. The new rules resulted in more billboards — and the government paying sign owners to take down old signs, only to see them put up new ones. It’s true that government is inherently inefficient, especial.