Houston Outdoor Advertising More Limited?

Houston worked the last few decades trying to get rid of thousands of large billboards to clean up the clutter. This year the city will see more billboards being taken down than any year previous, leaving businesses to find new methods for outdoor advertising.

The anti-billboard effort became law in 1980 when the city passed an ordinance prohibiting new construct of off-premise billboards. Provisions of the ordinance allowed scenic districts to be created within the city that further restricted outdoor signage, and numerous such districts continue to be created.

Now, after making an agreement with Clear Channel Outdoor, a major worldwide advertising company, more than 800 billboards are scheduled to be removed before the end of the year. Anti-billboard activists joined Houston Mayor Bill White in celebrating the 100th billboard removal August 14th.

Outdoor advertising is too successful to eradicate, so as billboards come down in the city other methods of attracting customers and building brands outdoors will continue to grow.

Outdoor signage, although limited in scenic districts, is still a viable option on business property. Outdoor signs are one of the most successful methods of advertising for small businesses, and the options for outdoor signage has increased and improved.

Mobile advertising is also growing in popularity. A vehicle wrap, which looks like advertising painted on a vehicle but is actually adhesive graphics, can capture the attention of countless people in traffic and on the roads.

Inflatable advertising also attracts attention. How can you miss a huge, inflatable character with a custom advertising message?! The tall, thin inflatables called wind dancers can also be ordered with your company name and logo. They grab glances each time they move in the wind.

You'll also see more people standing at intersections, wearing or holding an advertising sign and waving. And, there is talk of allowing more electronic billboards with various commercial messages flashing.

Outdoor advertising can be lucrative, so it's time to get creative.