A Brief History of Billboards
A brief history of Billboards
It’s more than likely that as you’ve driven down the highway, maybe listening to your favourite tunes, or cursing the guy who cuts right in front of you without indicating; you’ve probably noticed a billboard or two. And though you may have momentarily been captivated by the images, chances are you’ve never actually thought about where billboards came from or what their historical significance is. Or maybe you have asked all these questions, in which case this article will provide you with a brief history on one of the most prevalent forms of advertising that has ever been created.
What led up to the creation of the first billboard?
A few years back, archaeologists uncovered the first instances of what can be thought of as billboards in the city of Elkab in Egypt. These early iterations of billboards date back an approximate 5000 years, and were primarily used for propaganda, displaying hieroglyphics of the Egyptian royal family’s dominion over the world.
Then in 14th century Europe, a well to do goldsmith named Johaness Gutenberg was displaced from his comfortable life in Germany following a revolt orchestrated by militant peasants. After dabbling in a questionable business that involved objects that could capture ‘holy light’, Gutenberg eventually shifted his attention to inventing the revolutionary printing press. With the advent of the printing press, flyers, posters, handbills and more were produced, and are considered early iterations of what would eventually become the billboard.
Billboards as we know them:
A man named Jared Bell is often credited for inventing billboards as we know them now, and did so during the 1830’s. These billboards were primarily designed to promote circus acts, and were often large posters consisting of very colourful images.
During the 1860’s however is when advertising via billboards underwent a significant shift. Government legislation now allowed for businesses to purchase outdoor space to set up billboards and display advertisements. During this time advertisers began setting up very labour intensive billboards that were often hand drawn or hand painted.
As the concept of billboards began to gain traction, various associations in the US like the international bill posters association and the associated bill posters association were established. The prominence of these associations meant that the standards for billboard advertising began to evolve. In 1889, the Paris expo unveiled the first ever 24 sheet billboard, that later became the standard billboard format for billboards virtually everywhere.
The proliferation of billboards:
After the introduction of the Model T, cars quickly became the most popular means of transportation replacing railroads and horses. Due to this increased demand in automobiles, cities began to develop infrastructure, like better roads and highways, to cater to this influx of automobiles. Advertisers soon realized that this improved infrastructure supplied ideal space for billboard advertising. Numerous businesses began to take advantage of this facility, but certain companies like Coca Cola took it a step further by understanding that designing humorous and captivating billboards could entertain drivers as they went about their way.
Billboards predominantly across the US were largely unregulated, and advertisers had the freedom to basically design whatever they wanted. This changed in 1965 when the Highway Beautification Act was passed. This act imposed regulations such as what the size, spacing and lighting of the billboards should be, as well as how many could be placed along highways. This was a significant step in the history of billboards, as it largely changed the standard for billboards globally. Though people at the time believed that these regulations might negatively impact advertiser’s creativity, it actually did just the opposite.
The billboard has come an astoundingly long way since its conception 5000 years ago. It’s easy to dismiss billboards as objects of antiquity, but for advertisers, billboards represent 66% of the out-of-home advertising market. They are also rapidly evolving to accommodate modern advancements in technology like the digital format, along with integrating cameras and sensors to provide a more dynamic, interactive experience.
It’s safe to conclude that billboards aren’t going away any time soon.
