Here in Madrid, I've noticed that billboards are not as common as they are in America. Most of the time if you drive on the highway or are in a big city, buildings are covered with advertisements or huge rectangular displays for different advertisements. I've also noted a heavy use of fliers for musicals or theatre performances, which is not surprising given that those seem to be more popular here then they are in the states.The same is done in NYC, however it is't done as much as I've noticed here. One of the biggest differences I have noticed is the use of advertisements on the corner of streets. Rather than have a lot of advertisements in other places they are generally concentrated on display boards that could hold advertisements on either side. I've also noticed that the metro holds two different types of advertisements, either posters in the halls of the metro or huge displays in the tunnels. The tunnel advertisements are the most interesting as they curve along with the curves of the tunnels. I haven't noticed how often these are changed but I figure it isn't a lot given how difficult it must be to put them up. I've also noticed big advertisement displays on buildings, very similar to how they are done in NYC. Below you'll find a photo of one of these advertisements that is currently near the school:
This ad resembles the type of advertisement that might be seen in Manhattan. However what you'll also notice in the photo is that the taxi's in Madrid are free of ads. In fact, almost all methods of public transportation (besides the Metro) have no advertisements at all. In NYC and other states it is very common to use the lights on taxi hoods or the sides and backs of buses as ad space. This is done because NYC thrives on the public transportation system and is virtually inescapable. It surprises me that this hasn't been done in Madrid because it also seems to rely heavily on public transportation as opposed to driving. I'm sure if Madrid was to implement this, there would be a great increase in the effectiveness of ads, however I do appreciate that Madrid isn't overtaken by advertisements as NYC is. I feel like ads are barely used in Madrid and if they are, they aren't as effective as they might be in the States.
I totally saw this when I was walking out of the Ruben Dario metro a few weeks ago. I kept meaning to take a photo of it to blog about, but you beat me to it!
ReplyDeleteI think it's a really cool ad, and I agree that it is pretty rare to see something like this here in Madrid. Spaniards tend to stick to simple posters. They have a lot of ads, but nothing as crazy/creative as in the States. If they have billboards, they are just rectangles, not like in the US when companies construct big displays, making ads that look like the product or something, sticking off the edges of the simple billboard. US ads are more in your face, while Spanish ads are around, but blend into the backgroud.