Comments on: Sao Paulo: City Without Ads

by: Future plan? « Laura’s Weblog

Fri, 14 Sep 2007 12:59:44 +0000

[…] for more information: http://adbusters.org/the_magazine/73/So_Paulo_A_City_Without_Ads.html http://www.designverb.com/2007/06/19/sao-paulo-city-without-ads/ […]

by: Connor

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 04:11:26 +0000

Is anybody suspicious about any individual or company is benefiting from this ban? It seems like it could possibly be too good to be true. Has anyone herd of any corruption behind this banning of advertisements?
Just curious,
Thanks.

by: smartastic

Tue, 17 Jul 2007 15:33:26 +0000

Yes, “don’t you think that the post-modern era is about information of all kinds” — but advertising is not information, it is disinformation. it is, as kristian says, calculated to make us feel a lack in our lives and to suggest (for the low fee of __!!!) ways to fill that space. this is a lovely law, basically law as art project. lovely!

by: Kristian

Wed, 11 Jul 2007 09:24:13 +0000

So true, T.!

I can’t even imagine living in a city where there no visual pollution of this kind. It’s not even close to being the same as graffiti. These ads are constructed to mess with our minds. “Buy this and your life will be better!” all over.

Ads are cynical, calculating and very persuasive. I think it has a much bigger effect on our minds than we think.

Very exciting project.

by: poopoo

Fri, 06 Jul 2007 06:16:23 +0000

This is fantastic. It makes me happy too. I imagine Sao Paulo culture developing in a unique fashion now that it’s free from the bombardment of seductive advertising images.

Advertising is intrusive, if it is not then it is not working.

I imagine advertisers in Sao Paulo installing loudspeakers instead posters and blasting there ads out that way. I wonder if they have regulations on that?

by: T.

Thu, 05 Jul 2007 11:52:50 +0000

“don’t you guys realize that ads are not a negative thing?”

Yes they are. They are violence. It’s like putting people on street-corners with megaphones shouting at passers-by which products they need, what radio-stations they must tune into, etc.

And the jobs lost are in the industry of advertising and marketing, which cultivates an entire science of how to make ads as psychologically aggressive and intrusive as possible.
It’s not culture, nor education. It’s rape of the socio-cultural psyche on a mass scale. It should be banned from every society.

by: Glyn

Sun, 01 Jul 2007 22:03:58 +0000

I think the legislation on the whole is a good idea, and it’s good to see the mayor/polititions taking power over advertising companies.
Advertising companies in my eyes have far to much freedom with where they place their advertorials, how big/small and colourful it may be. It too can be a big distraction to people say for example driving on a motorway who see this signage, when they should be concentrating on the road ahead.
It’s also quite ironic that they place billboards in or around favelas in Sao Paulo, when it’s pretty obvious that these people can’t afford these products being advertised.
I think the legislation has gone a bit too far whereas shop fronts are concerned, this should be the only place companies should be able to ’sell’ their product without bombarding us with signage throughout city’s.

by: Marcello

Thu, 28 Jun 2007 05:39:57 +0000

hello there

this law is way too radical. it is true that we feel better in a city with no or less ads, but don’t you think that the post-modern era is about information of all kinds? I mean, look at all the jobs we’ll be erradicating… for the wrong reasins.

yes, there should be a reduction on the number of ads, but blaming the ads for the visual degradation of a city should only be taken in consideration if the city is clean and the mayor keeps it all tidy… which isn’t the case in são paulo, or any other big city.

don’t you guys realize that ads are not a negative thing? it’s culture, education and industries that create the need for advertising, not the opposite.

yet if you want to have a beautiful city, rip the ads of, take away the buses, burn down all factories and department stores,… leave nothing but museums and beautiful wealthy dwellings.

the clean city law lacks reason and seems to be sustained by political agreements more then by “enlightment”

please think about it before “retaliation” or agreeing with me… I am not imposing my point of view. Instead I’m bringing up a new question:

was this law really necessary, or should we adapt/react to the status quo of massive advertising?

by: Memory

Wed, 27 Jun 2007 20:31:12 +0000

This makes me so happy! Hurray for enlightened leaders!

by: tango!

Thu, 21 Jun 2007 00:33:14 +0000

John… I’ve been to alaska and yes, i’ll admit, it’s soothing not to have “stuff” plastered all over the place…though there are the basics for store signage etc…this sao paulo law band store signs as well from what i understand. cheers, to less clutter!