Advertising has, since the establishment of a trade-based economy, been one of the most crucial factors of commerce. Even if it was something as primitive as shouting out what you’re selling from a market stall at the local fair, it’s always been essential that you let your customers know what you have to offer and why they should buy it.
As consumerism started to take off in the 17th century, more sophisticated means of advertising were necessary to get goods off the shelves. Eventually, this led to the development of the human billboard.
Writings on the Wall
Before the advent of the human billboard, advertising was a lot messier. Even as far back as Ancient Egypt and Greece, papyrus scrolls have been found advertising various products being sold in ancient cities.Pompeii, likewise, is resplendent in hundreds of commercial and political messages in public spaces.
Meanwhile, in the Chinese Song dynasty, many printed advertisements for products have been found, including one for an Ancient Chinese needle shop!
With the development of the printing press, along with cheaper means of producing paper, it quickly became possible for small businesses to advertise themselves in public spaces.
Up until about the 19th century, posters made up the majority of on-street advertising. Businesses could also hire out advertising space in locally printed newspapers as well, a practice that started nearly a century earlier.
Unfortunately, paper-based advertising was very messy, and frequently left lots of rubbish littering the streets as flyers and posters were blown out of hands and off of walls. It became such a common practice that there was often very bitter fighting over prominent wall space on which posters could be affixed.
This frequently led to people deliberately removing or covering up the adverts of the competition, and eventually the problem grew so bad that many governments passed taxes on the use of public wall space. Gradually, alternative means of commercialization were sought by shop owners.
At the same time, a massive migration of people from the country into the cities saw many standing around doing nothing and in need of quick change in the pocket…
Enter The Human Billboard
It’s not certain who the first human billboard was, nor who or what they advertised. What is known is that, from as early as the 1820s, it was reported that gentlemen were being seen with various signs and adverts affixed to their hats.
These became a common sight in London, and the practice quickly spread across the developed world. Today many would refer to these types of signs as “sandwich boards” because the human is sandwiched between two sign boards.
When the London government banned the use of posters on private property, the use of the human billboard, otherwise known as the “bipedal advertisement”, quickly skyrocketed as the most popular means of advertisement.
Over time, new and more extravagant or even outrageous uses of human billboards became commonplace. Costumes with fancier signage, even impromptu parades were not uncommon before long.
Human Billboards Today
In high traffic areas, human billboards or “sign twirlers” are still common even today. Go to any busy city and you’ll probably spot half a dozen, as they’re cheap, easy to use, and highly effective.
They’re especially popular for seasonal events, such as Halloween, as they’re a fun yet effective way to draw in additional crowds from off the street.
However with the rise of private traffic, many governments and officials have criticised the practice for being potentially dangerous for drivers, so their use is more regulated and controlled than it was in the 1800s.
It’s also common todays for human billboards to be a little more discrete than their ancestors back in Victorian London.
With printing t-shirts being similarly inexpensive, many companies prefer to use t-shirts emblazoned with their logo.
These are frequently worn by sign waivers or street marketers to raise commercial awareness without being quite as obtuse as a human billboard might be.
Regardless of the method, this kind of advertising has been effective since the advent of marketing and continues to be successful today.
Take advantage of this type of signage by shopping at qualitysigndesigner.com and designing custom signs to promote your business. One or two seemingly outside-the-box ideas could really help to maximize your return.
Christian Mills
Latest posts by Christian Mills (see all)
- The History of Human Billboards - June 21, 2015
It’s a good way to advertise your product but it needs a lot of efforts for doing so.
Wow, Very interesting post. Today, Human Billboards are an awesome way or easy way to promote our business or brand.
Thank you for sharing.
Regards Keith
I definitely still see “human billboards” when I’m driving around town. I do wonder how much more effective it is to hire someone to hold a sign that to just post the sign on a wall, though. I suppose it must be useful; companies wouldn’t hire someone to hold a sign if it didn’t improve business. It’s an interesting phenomenon that I doubt will go away anytime soon. Thanks for the information.
Hi Hazel,
I suspect we’re more likely to notice a moving sign than one that is on a wall we probably tune out.
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Very nice , I as a reader liked the content of news and discussion , thank you and Greetings
I definitely find myself noticing the human billboards much more than other advertisements. There’s something to show for a personal touch to the ad and how it is presented to you. Thanks for the history!
I must agree that this is one of the most eye-catching advertisement technique ever made! I just saw a bunch earlier outside a newly opened fastfood chain nearby and I can’t help check everyone out. lol. Thanks for such an interesting post!
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Thanks for your post about the history of billboards. I’ve seen a lot of companies use human billboards with their custom signs to attract business. It’s really interesting how a paper advertisement for an ancient Chinese needle shop has been found. Looks like businesses have always needed a way to create custom signs and advertising.
Learning about the history of human billboards is something quite fascinating. I myself am thinking about maybe creating a billboard sign for my company. It’s something that both my friend and I thought would probably grab the attention of our future clients who would want to do business with a paper company.
wouuww interesting post, I just know about this, but this traditional method still used for some business as sample for restaurant..
Very interesting post christian mills. 2nd image Human billboard in Japan circa 1949 has a great historical value.Thank you for sharing.
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Very interesting post christian mills. 2nd image Human billboard in Japan circa 1949 has a great historical value.Thank you for sharing.
Regards salekin
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It is terribly attention-grabbing road users . perhaps they must be used with the permission of native police .
Good looking Human Billboard. Congratulation for sharing your post. Human Billboard attacked a people for only short time.
I am very glad to come here and read your post. Its great information and i like your post, Thanks for sharing with us.
in the city of Solo, Indonesia . man who brings new promotions board there about a year ago . It is very interesting road users . maybe they should be used with the permission of local police . Thank you.