There are several signs like this in Mexico City at the moment, signs that advertise, um, themselves. And you can’t help feeling that there’s a circularity trap waiting to happen.
Buyer: hello, I would like to rent the sign at Tokio and Dublin, please.
Seller: Oh, I’m sorry, sir, that’s not possible.
Buyer: No?
Seller: No, if we rent the sign, it will no longer be capable of selling itself, sir. I mean, who would buy it, if we rent it?
(Note: streets name approximate, to protect the anonymity of the billboard.)
UK Motorways have many electronic roadsigns. After a new sign is erected, there may be delay of some weeks before the electronic display is connected and working. In this period, the signs often display the message, “Sign Not In Use”. It would be nice to hear a semiotician’s analysis of such a signal!
trying to reach grant mccracken. please get in touch (for a story)
I don’t know that doesn’t seem that odd. It’s certainly not limited to Mexico City. Its more indicative of either a bad economy — no advertiser is seeing the value of using that particular location. I saw this billboards advertising themselves frequently in Oakland, CA, when I lived there. And also on the billboards of Eastern Tennessee, where my parents live. Both places, perhaps, without the ideal financially secure target market that advertisers want for the their large messages. (B
You’re not very close on the names, but they work, the neighborhood streets all have european city names, that particular corner is Sevilla and Hamburg or Sevilla and London, I’ll confirm tomorrow, it’s close to my office 🙂