The UK government has just introduced a ban on advertising. While the public are enjoying less cluttered streets and greater mental clarity, the ad executives are protesting by blockading Soho Square with their Porsche’s. Nobody seems particularly bothered.
The amount of mental real estate taken up by advertising (if it could be measured in terms of square feet) must be on a much larger scale than that seen in the real world. I still remember chewing gum jingles from 30 years ago!
In real-world terms though, there's an interesting example of what a ban on advertising in public spaces could be like. The 'Clean City Law' that was passed in São Paulo is described pretty succinctly in this article by the always fantastic 99% invisible:
The amount of mental real estate taken up by advertising (if it could be measured in terms of square feet) must be on a much larger scale than that seen in the real world. I still remember chewing gum jingles from 30 years ago!
In real-world terms though, there's an interesting example of what a ban on advertising in public spaces could be like. The 'Clean City Law' that was passed in São Paulo is described pretty succinctly in this article by the always fantastic 99% invisible:
https://99percentinvisible.org/article/clean-city-law-secrets-sao-paulo-uncovered-outdoor-advertising-ban/
This is amazing! Thank you so much for sharing this Glyn!