Billboard advertising (Sept 1897)

Vol. IX., Na 8. CINCINNATI, SEPTEMBER i. 1897. THEDRT AND PRACTICE. .Br.fUl W. HOKK. I have had a great tan WJ CBents daring the past few week! ■ '<plr that <N accooM af Uidr paper being crowded «■ Ike bin .bwid* by BnEdo BUI aad ~ tB«(lhafeM*diDg of theaetowMtbeieare nme vacant lote tbui tdllbouds. and that from s snper- firial observation there should be very liWle difficulty to the bill poster ia secur- ing a great deal additional space on whicb lo bnild more boards.-^ I wm taUdng over Ihis subject the other day with Mr. Loitisfi. Ramsey, of LciiagtoB, K.J., Vice Preadent of the Bill Fosters' Aasodatioo. when he ad- Damber of biUboardg. Ue says that a town will stand only a certaia amonnt of bin posting, and that a drees usnally CnaMi oaljr once ■ year. And be thiaki OMtif MOfC Iwatds are built the majority a( Una will He idle for the other eleven BMHiths. Not only n-ill they lie idle, producing no revenue. Mr. Ramsey says, but they vrill look ragged and sbabbv and woe*begone, and be apt to give the adreitiser a bod opinion of the (own—as I shabby lot of billboards is sure tc I sent an order about a month ago to a cily of some 50.000 population, the lead- ing city of a leading state; the order was for 50 ^-sheets. 10 ib^faeeu and ao 8- Ur. Rai knowledge gained by k bill postiDg business, wfa ■re largely tbeoretical; howt ■t the I ig yea , that then ,- feik lo all the bnsneas they co do. There is Dotbing that will mak man get np and linstle aronnd for bi BeMUketefc ~ - - - ofHaaiaai ea^-gDing plan, there will beonlyaci BnlaUrge aud mpidly growing n joiity of tke bill post.rs 10-day ■ famdlBcft-Tiiew business, not only amo the national adTettisers, Inil also amo: the booie merchants. The day of t kaawdl, and the local work nsnnlly pay* ■• wsO ■> Ibe BaliOQal, if oM a gicU deal better. But adde tmm the qnestiw of circuses, 1 am constantly having my .otimates for various t^ns scaled down by the ad- vertiser and his trav^ng men; who from their inqtecticm «f tbe 'topna, taurm that ikB.bilt poalfr W Mtaneaslibaaidata had contiactcd for alt Us stand i^bcb bd- til next April, and Ihefritan ha toM do nothing with these ataada. HVir. I can readily nnderataiMl wbj- • bill poatar ■honld be loth to boDd a lot of one boards toaccommodauanttiderata.aln- gle month, but tUa order mdd compensate foi all Ow tx f oue «f Ibe added plant. with thae paaHa I an ■mil far iMf Johanneslmrg has a population of loo,- 000 people. Some of this number are the owners of the nearly ioo,ooo fHrnces <rf pure gold which is extraded from the mines in and around JohannaibaEg monthly. Wise men of England and •thnm*^ of tha lull of n the iia wlUl Ibem, and in a few daya now there will probably be a gocd service there for all the paper that may be sent !il ;iiiy liiii? But to wait them up i was cmiipelini to threaten them with an opposition plant. The [aa is. v>ry few bill poitets are Mltitic<mto( UieirlMdMaa an tbcK ia is - - of UMpnal- d^, and will be completed in abont two years. In the left band comer appears Mr. Marks, who bought the advertising space on the building and attends to the painting of the ads on the nail. The advertisers on the walls are among the leading firms of Johannesburg. It was le to see ads both inside lestrvetcBis. The street appaanaaaof tkacan: Smttcaradv^r* tUn( la taken ^ br jntt a few ef Oie leading merchants. Some have the side - (rf'acarat the top, the sign simply giving the firm's name in large letters and the business. Over the front roof of each cariaantulveiljdngaeiiBlsa. Evea the Iran lenders at both ends of tbe cars are mtiaelnikasanu can plq> honsea. Posters are op aB (ner tbe city and 00 every available billboard. There is a hustling English coneern'that control* every hoarding in the dty. and dented tn tlwMar advertising^ Litho- liapbaia an my high priced in Johan- B eJ h ei jf CowpHfes generally import Ihrir on Uthvopba, bat if tb^ doa-t ttDipivaw Ugh pocea Owy of the It tt'la a u fpe l a lng h> ■<> Hk de t« (nirodneed in same always inqmn firat. Type writers, butter, condensed milk, shoes, and in fact everything sold in Johannesburg is advrrtittd on tbe boatdi lu both poolers and illnstiateil signs. Aio4nd tbe new Foot Offica stations anl along the Hae ti Hretona. The Goveminent has also sold tbe ptiTiIege of advertising in the small spaces In the railway carriages. These siderable \. feo eading Africa use this space w A firm of Johannesburg baa the most protmncat outnde advertisement that I ever lai*. Directly in front of the rnl- - - ' najhrtwldaV? ran be Ken by all leai eHy. Another firm baa a idnA at id tianoe of Ibe statkm. dial. The advcrtisuig aromd tba al