No Logo? No Problem

In 2006, the mayor of São Paulo mayor banned the use of outdoor advertising, including billboards and transit. Initially, the business community was alarmed, and worried that there would be millions in lost revenue and tens of thousands of lost jobs. But a 2011 study showed that 70 percent of the city’s residents find the ban to be beneficial. The ban has shown how inefficient billboard advertising is, and has led to innovative branding initiatives from companies looking to promote their products on the streets. Residents also feel that the ban has created “new references in the city” and created a “new identity” for São Paulo.

Flickr Stream of São Paulo after the ban.

Watch a short documentary from 2006

Ad Ban in Sao Paulo