When John Z. DeLorean was head of Chevrolet in the early-70s he got rid of the brand’s massive billboard presence because it allegedly contributed to roadway blight (Wright, 1979). Like so many liberal crusades, that was a myopic decision.
For one thing, billboards can actually hide the uglier side of American life. Perhaps even more importantly, billboards can also perform a valuable — and even life-saving — public service.
Consider the billboard below. Its psychographic experts are admirably sensitive to a yuuuuge issue in American culture — social isolation. What better way to reach out to those lacking adequate social networks than to use billboards like this one?
After all, driving is one of the loneliest experiences that you’ll ever know, to liberate a line from the musician Harry Nilsson (2015). Despite all of Big Guvmint’s social engineering to encourage carpooling, bike riding and swinging from trees, 76.4 percent of us drove alone in 2013, according to the U.S. Census (McKenzie, 2014).
I’m confident that the dedicated patriot Jack Baruth would stand with me in my contention that single-occupancy vehicles are as all-American as pizza, beer and embarrassingly overweight pony cars.
However, even the most freedom-loving Americans occasionally get lonely driving their “suicide machines” (Springsteen, 2015). So of course they text while driving. But you’ve still got to look up at the road occasionally. That’s where billboards come in.
I’d be willing to bet a lottery ticket that the pictured casino billboard has saved lives. Literally. Sad faces have turned to happy ones when lonely people have discovered the benefits of “non-virtual” companionship at this western Washington casino.
Some even find their fortune. But that’s not nearly as important as the deep and abiding relationships developed over great food and reasonably priced drinks.
To think that a new life began for many people by merely glancing at a billboard. Nothing ugly about that.
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RE:SOURCES
McKenzie, Brian; 2014. “Who Drives to Work? Commuting by Automobile in the United States: 2013.” American Community Survey Reports, U.S. Census. Posted August; accessed Dec. 9, 2015.- Nilsson, Harry; 2015. “One Lyrics.” MetroLyrics. Accessed Dec. 9.
- Springsteen, Bruce; 2015. “Born to Run Lyrics.” MetroLyrics. Accessed Dec. 9.
- Wright, J. Patrick; 1979. On A Clear Day You Can See General Motors. Wright Enterprises, Grosse Pointe, MI.
PHOTOGRAHY:
- Author’s photo gallery: “Everywhere a sign”
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