Advertising

Litter Along the Road

Imagine being at the movies, a form of escape from day to day life, and after the previews ads are run for area businessess. There is no fast forwarding through this or even time to leave the room before the show starts. I find this offense. I do not want to be sold to everywhere I go.

A local grocery store chain now have their cashiers pitch an "item of the week" that is displayed proudly right in front of the customer. A shopper can easily impulse buy the item, but not this shopper. Out of obstinance and resentment I won't purchase the item.

This all led me to watch for advertisements and see how invasive they have become in our lives.

First is what I call litter along the roadside. Many of us have used this method for advertising a yard sale or selling a used car. This would be the free method. Simply take a cardboard square, write on it, and nail it to a telephone pole on a busy street near your house. No problems here for me. It is middle America trying to bring in income.

The real litter are professional signs that are on a wire frame and can simply be stuck in the ground. Within a four block area of my home I saw four yard sale signs, two homes for sale, one by an established real estate company, and one from a help you sell type of agency. Certainly a low cost type of advertising that is effective.

Two signs on a telephone pole were so small that I could not read them and hence not an issue for me except as littler.

One sign, stuck in the ground, was for a house auction which was the first I saw of that type. Really, I was not surprise. Our economy is not in the shape that our illustrious leader in Washington would want us to believe.

An impressive display was a hard wood display for an auto detailing company. This had two sides, stood by itself, and was chained to a telephone pole.

Finally the last one was a professional looking ad for a nail care center.

Once I opened my eyes and saw what was there, it surprised me. How long has this been going on? Did I just not really see it before? Are Americans so immune they don't really notice? I think the later may be true in my case.