Something about street ads

"From wine to wine"

In the Philippines, when you walk around the cities, you'll see ads almost everywhere. There are countless billboards and posters competing for attention from the commuters and motorists alike. Some ads can be so enticing that they even make the traffic slower!

In Finland or at least in Tampere, you do see little ads in the middle of the road in frames neatly attached in pairs to the lamp posts but nothing of those big structured frames on the side of the road or buildings. I usually see posters on bus stops like the picture on the left which I think are practically strategic.

I remember Metro Manila's myriad street ads and ponder that yes, it can be both desirable and displeasing. The colors and images of happiness and beauty can offer a moment of calmness or bring someone into a momentary daydream amid the chaos of heavy traffic and crowded metro. The cities themselves gain an impression of vibrance and progress. But in such a place where income inequality is high and poverty is ubiquitous, someone will rather be caught in a clash between the desire to purchase a branded watch, for instance, and the thought that another soul is in desperate need of cash to buy his/her family's meal for the day.