Billboard Evolution

Abstract

In today’s era where digital technologies and media reign over a consumer’s life, certain media have to catch up, integrate, or evolve in order to stay relevant and noticeable – billboards being one of them. From the ancient times of the pyramids to the modern day use of digital billboards, oversized, horizon-penetrating communication platforms have transformed in display and messaging over centuries but have nonetheless maintained the core principle of their intended purpose: to communicate a message to the masses. This paper reviews the history of billboards and its journey from a standalone architectural structure to its current multi-dimensional, sometimes electronic form. From there, predictions of where and what the billboard will become in ten years are identified based on human media consumption trends and the expectation of digital media technologies. From the way I see it, billboard farms such as Times Square or the Hollywood Sunset strip will be become more of a novelty attraction site whereas the billboard itself will diminish in size but will create a more meaningful experience with the everyday individual who comes across it.