The History of the Billboard By: Clare Szabo
The History of the Billboard In today’s society one of the most well known forms of advertising are billboards. Although many people recognize billboards as an effective medium of advertising, many do not know the history and evolution of the billboard. Billboards have had a great impact on the way we as a society receive information and become informed about new products. It is a real art form. It encompasses a variety of art forms, such as, photography, other types of images, and type, displayed in a manner to persuade viewers. Billboards are used to make the viewer either desire the actual product or to provide curiosity about a topic of interest. For example, there may be a product, such as a vacuum cleaner, that the viewer might decide they just have to have, or there may be a billboard that shows the campaign for breast cancer awareness, which makes the viewer want to learn more or get involved. It is this understanding of persuasion along with the history of billboards that was a driving force in graphic design industry.
Graphic design became a huge part of advertising and poster design in today’s society because of the evolution of the billboard. Freestanding billboards that are common today have not always been around. -XW TVIHIGIWWSVW WYGL EW TSWXIVW ¾]IVW ERH EHW MR XLI RI[WTETIVW [IVI ZIV] popular. Although the posters were not able to be printed large scale, leasing space to place these posters have been around for a slightly longer period time. 8LI ½VWX YWI SJ XLI MHIE SJ E PEVKI WGEPI TSWXIV JSV EHZIVXMWIQIRX [EW F] XLI circus. It incorporated the use of a large poster placed on the sides of horse HVE[R XVYGOW 8LMW [EW XLI ½VWX XMQI [I WII XLI MHIE SJ E QSZMRK FMPPFSEVH YWIH for advertisement. These large posters started with the invention of the Napier Cylinder press by Richard Hoe in New York. This allowed large posters to be printed on large paper sections and then assembled on large areas. The only constraints were the size of the structure in which the poster was placed. The circus was able to make posters larger than ever before. Soon movie theaters, XLI 9 7 %VQ] ERH JSSH TVSHYGXW [IVI EHZIVXMWIH SR XLIWI PEVKI WGEPI TSWXIVW *SV I\EQTPI 5YEOIV SEXW 4MPPWFYV] ¾SYV ERH IZIR (IRX]RI XSSXL TEWXI 8LI primary aim of these posters was to convey ideas in a fast and clear manner
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The Associated Bill Posters Association of North America was formed in 7X 0SYMW 1MWWSYVM ERH [EW XLI ½VWX QSZI XS[EVH ER EWWSGMEXMSR FIX[IIR XLIR producers of these large posters and advertisers. The reason for having this association was to “promote a greater understanding of the poster medium, and to provide an expanded nationwide organization for coordinating the services SJJIVIH F] QIQFIV GSQTERMIW² *VEWIV 8LI PIEWMRK SJ WTEGI FIKER [MXL leasing the sides of buildings and public wooden fences in 1867. Since the space [EW PMQMXIH XS SRP] REQIW ERH TLVEWIW XLMW VIWYPXIH MR XLI ½VWX VIEP GLEPPIRKI JSV creative people. Eventually by the 1900’s there was a standardized structure that [EW WTIGM½GEPP] GVIEXIH JSV XLIWI PEVKI TSWXIVW 8LMW MHIE LEH FIIR EVSYRH WMRGI FYX [EW RSX EFPI XS FI GSR½KYVIH YRXMP XLI YWI SJ RI[ QEXIVMEPW ERH RI[ technology was discovered. Steel was becoming one of the main resources used in manufacturing freestanding structures, in this case the structure for a billboard. This allowed billboards to become their own medium. Although these billboards were great for industries and businesses, it was not great for the designers that were famous for making small posters. There was a noticeable difference in the UYEPMX] SJ HIWMKR *VEWIV
In 1915, the National Outdoor Advertising Bureau was established. The reason for this bureau was to conduct the outdoor part of the advertising business with the advertising agencies and their clients. The bureau was a major TEVX MR XLI EHZIVXMWMRK MRHYWXV] YRXMP XLI QMH ´W ,S[IZIV MR XLI FYVIEY volunteered the outdoor advertising industry to the military and their services. In April 1916, artists, cartoonist, illustrators, poster industry leaders, and others met to discuses the art, design, and advertising strategies to help move industry in America. They also met to discuss making posters for World War I to show industries’ preparedness and to support the U.S. in war effort. Also, during this XMQI XLIVI [IVI XLI ½VWX IPIGXVMG FMPPFSEVHW 8LMW EPPS[IH XLI FMPPFSEVH XS FI shown at night with the use of light. This was great for advertisers and designers FIGEYWI XLIMV [SVO ERH QIWWEKI [EW WIIR X[IRX] JSYV LSYVW E HE] *VEWIV
3RI SJ XLI QENSV TIVMSHW JSV FMPPFSEVHW [EW HYVMRK XLI ´W EJXIV ;SVPH War I and with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles. World War I allowed JSV I\TIVMQIRXEXMSR ERH FMPPFSEVHW ¾SYVMWLIH 1ER] EVXMWXW I\TIVMQIRXIH and witnessed how color, word, and image affected the persuasiveness of their messages. The best year for this medium of advertising was 1919. Billboards became a form of advertising that was not only used for products of manufacturing but also the “leisure industry,” including movies and tourist destinations. Another factor in bringing this form of advertising to greater expansion is the automobile industry. More and more people owned a car and the amount of people that were driving on highways grew by a substantial amount. Larger highways were constructed to accommodate for the greater number of drivers. This allowed billboards to advertise automobiles, gas, tires, and other various items needed to own an automobile. Another major product that was advertised was cigarettes. A great number of people smoked and many GSQTERMIW GSQTIXIH EKEMRWX IEGL SXLIV JSV EHZIVXMWMRK I\TSWYVI *VEWIV
%JXIV XLI ´W SYXWMHI EHZIVXM^MRK WXMPP ¾SYVMWLIH IZIR XLVSYKL XLI ´W ERH XLI +VIEX (ITVIWWMSR -X [EW SRI SJ XLI JI[ MRHYWXVMIW XLEX KVI[ HYVMRK XLMW XMQI TIVMSH *SV I\EQTPI MR XLIVI [IVI SYXHSSV EHZIVXMWMRK YWIVW XLVSYKLSYX XLI REXMSR [MXL E XSXEP SJ QMPPMSR HSPPEVW MR WEPIW &] XLIVI [IVI GSQTERMIW XLEX [IVI YWMRK XLMW QIHMYQ JSV EHZIVXMWIQIRX 7SQI SJ XLI EHZIVXMWIVW [IVI ;VMKPI]´W GLI[MRK KYQ 'SGE 'SPE 6MX^ ERH QER] QSVI 8LI reason for this increase was due to the fact that billboards were everywhere and was an easy and affective way to advertise, especially with the industry on the rise. Another major change during this period is that billboard artists started to use increasing amounts of humor, including cartoons. Although at this time people were experimenting more with different forms of advertizing, such as, realism and cartooning, other artists began using a more realistic style with photography. (YVMRK XLI ´W EMVFVYWL EVXMWXV] GLERKIH JVSQ E VIEPMWXMG TIVWTIGXMZI XS E QSVI W]QFSPMG TIVWTIGXMZI 8LMW [EW ZIV] TSTYPEV MR XLI ´W 8LI WXERHEVHW [IVI RSX VEMWIH YRXMP XLI ´W ERH XLI ´W *VEWIV
(YVMRK ;;-- SYXHSSV EHZIVXM^MRK GSQTERMIW [IVI KVIEXP] EJJIGXIH 7MRGI there was a state of panic after the attack on Pearl Harbor many people canceled their advertisements. Many advertisements were centered upon the war effort. For example, the American Red Cross had a massive campaign during the war using these great outside posters. Another campaign that was well known at this time was the War Manpower campaign. The campaign targeted people that were RSX ½KLXMRK MR XLI [EV FYX [IVI IRGSYVEKIH XS XEOI YT QMPMXEV] NSFW XLEX [SYPH help the production of military items. Other campaigns centered upon saving XLMRKW WYGL EW QIXEP XLEX GSYPH FI YWIH JSV XLI [EV IJJSVXW *VEWIV (YVMRK XLI ´W ERH XLVSYKL XLI ´W FMPPFSEVHW FIGEQI QSVI ERH QSVI creative and focused more on the act of persuasion using art. Since television was becoming a major household appliance, billboards had to compete with a new form of advertising. Billboards also had to compete with color television. This VIWYPXIH MR E GLERKI MR HIWMKR XS E WMQTPM½IV JSVQ ERH [MXL E QIQSVEFPI XI\X XLEX was witty and cleaver. This design with an image that was simple but interesting reinforced the concept to the viewer. Another form of design that evolved was that not all billboards were rectangle shaped. Many billboards were constructed with different shapes that exceeded the rectangle. For example, Coppertone
sun tan lotion had the famous little girl with the dog pulled out of the billboard. The billboard’s image was not only larger, but stood out to the viewer driving by. Another example of this was Kern’s peach preserves that had the jar tower over XLI FMPPFSEVH *VEWIV This form of design continued in new ways throughout the 1980’s. The use of computers and technology changed the design of the billboard. Political advertising contributed to the change in design also. For example, many people were concerned about conservation and health in society. Many advertisements on billboards began to persuade people to care more about the environment and for the well being of people. For example, Gatorade became one of the major contributors to these forms of advertisements. There were advertisements for helping battered women and to stop drunk driving. These advertisements used the 1960’s, included a form of design where a line or two of type was used with a very intense image. For example, one of the advertisements for battered women used a photo of a woman’s body in a body bag; another image of the effects of drunk driving had an actual crunched car on the billboard itself. Advertisements that dealt with conservation use similar tactics to get their point across. For I\EQTPI JSV JSVIWX ½VI E[EVIRIWW XLIVI [EW E FMPPFSEVH XLEX PSSOIH PMOI MX LEH
been burned through so that the viewer could see the inner workings of the billboard. Although conservation and health awareness was prominent during this time, there were other advertisements that are still well known to this day, such EW 1G(SREPHW 'SOI E 'SPE &YH[IMWIV &IIV ERH QER] SXLIVW *VEWIV In today’s society much has changed with the design of billboards. The evolution of technology and resources, including computers and higher quality printers, has contributed to these changes. With these computer advances many designers have many more opportunities and almost limitless design ability. There are also many more electronic billboards in today’s society, which allows the ability for more than one advertisement to be shown on a single billboard. There is also the form of billboards that are on trucks that change advertisements by electronic means. Although the basic design is still present in today’s billboards, the simple slogan with an image is still used often. The changes in billboard design will continue and are driven by the need to convey information effectively and EP[E]W [MXL GSRWMHIVEXMSR SJ XLI ZMI[IV *VEWIV
Works Cited: Fraser, James Howard. The American Billboard: 100 Years. New York: H.N. Abrams, 1991. Print. “Volume 5.” How Products Are Made. Randy Schueller. Web. 06 (IG LXXT [[[ QEHILS[ GSQ :SPYQI MRHI\ LXQP"