Ads have no limits

The total area of advertising sur­faces in Moscow is about 750,000 square me­ters, which can be compared to the size of 100 football fields. If every Muscovite was presented with a por­tion of city advertising it would be equal to an album list. The quantity of advertising billboards in the city has been constantly increasing during the past 10 years. In 2006, there were 9,700 ad­vertising displays on the streets, while the corre­sponding figure for 2007 was 12,000. Last year, outdoor advertising brought 1.7 bln roubles to the city budget. The rent prices vary from $300 to $500 for a square meter (the closer to the cen­tre of the city the more expensive). It takes no less than $2,000-$ 3,000 to in­stall an advertising panel, and the price actually has no upper limit. The recent instal­lation of a new banner in Novoarbatskaya Square, for example, cost its owners $301,000.

The number of complaints concerning the amount of advertising in the city is also growing. Muscovites de­nounce banners promoting casinos, alcohol and under­wear, for example, and city dwellers are not satisfied with the fact that advertise­ments often cover historical buildings. “The city is littered with adver­tising,” summa­rized Yury Luzhkov at a ses­sion of the Moscow govern­ment.

The city government has recently approved a program titled The Develop­ment of Outdoor Advertising. One of its main points is to reduce the number of advertising constructions in the streets. It is suggested to reduce the overall number of advertising panels by 30% to 40%, first of all in the historical centre. At the same time, the city authorities have already started reducing advertising on the so-called governmen­tal routes “for the sake of traffic safety.” “10% have been removed from Kutuzovsky Prospect, 30% from Mozhaiskoye Shosse, 50% from Olympiysky Prospect, and the process will contin­ue,” promises Vladimir Makarov, head of the Mos­cow Government Advertising Committee.

3x6 meter plywood bill­boards (the most popular outdoor format in Moscow) have been removed from these streets. According to the plan, all plywood units will be replaced by scrollers and video screens. The rea­son is that most of them were installed 10-15 years ago and are now worn-out and even unsafe. To save Muscovites from annoying commercials owners of the video screens will be oblig­ed to show social advertis­ing for 40% of the time, like reels on drug threat, eco­logical problems, informa­tion on government deci­sions, and weather reports. In the nearest future – dur­ing the City Day celebra­tions – the streets will be turned into portrait galleries. Images of the best professionals will be placed instead of commercial advertising.

However, the Moscow City Duma is not satisfied with the undertaken measures and intends to present it own plan of attacking advertising. “Take a look a Kamenny Bridge from Basil Spusk. Advertising chaos like this just 100 meters from St. Basil Cathedral is inconceivable. Advertisements must not get on the nerves of Muscovites or distract tou­rists,” says deputy Alexander Krutov, one of the authors of the bill.

The Duma suggests limit­ing advertising in places where it can “offend patriot­ic feelings.” It is planned to remove all kinds of ads from territories neighbouring to cathedrals and historical monuments. Besides, the size of large-format banners will be restricted – no more than 10 sq. m in Sadovoye Pang and no more than 18 sq. m in the third Transport Ring.

The Advertising Commit­tee does not worry much about the prospects. “All contracts on the installation of advertising billboards are long-term ones. They were signed for five to seven years. The majority of con­tracts in the area of Sado­voye Ring will expire in two or three years. All the struc­tures will remain in place until that time,” explained a representative of the press service.

Antonina Frolenkova

The Moscow News 31/08/2008