{
  "id": 2316953,
  "title": "Out of sight",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/21/out-of-sight",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-08-21T05:25:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Emerging Europe",
    "slug": "emerging-europe",
    "url": "https://emerging-europe.com/out-of-sight/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "São Paulo, once a city that abolished outdoor advertising, is now reconsidering its decision. Two decades after the ban, the advertising industry has found a way to return to the cityscape. As one walks through São Paulo for the first time, it may seem as if little has changed. However, those aware of the city's advertising history will notice a notable difference. The absence of ads, a result of the Lei Cidade Limpa (Clean City Law) enacted on December 26, 2006, is striking. Businesses were given a year to remove approximately 15,000 billboards and 300,000 shopfront signs, along with advertising on buses and taxis. The Clean City Law aimed to eliminate what its creator, former mayor Gilberto Kassab, called \"visual pollution.\" Dalal Silvano, an advertising executive who voted against the law, predicted that the city would feel emptier without its ads. Clear Channel Outdoor, a major outdoor advertising firm, sued São Paulo on constitutional grounds but lost. Business groups estimated potential losses of $133 million and 20,000 jobs. A 2011 survey indicated that 70% of residents still supported the ban. The removal of ads also revealed hidden favelas, workshops, and works of art that were previously obscured by billboards. City employees even whitewashed murals, including a 680-meter-long work by Os Gêmeos, a twin brother artistic duo. The mural was painted over in 2008 while the artists were featured in an exhibition at Tate Modern in London. The public outcry over the mural's destruction forced the city to modify the law in 2012, allowing street art again, though only in designated locations. JCDecaux, the world's largest outdoor advertising company, won a 25-year concession in October 2012 to place 1,000 digital clocks around the city, allowing advertising to return through street furniture. Other brands found creative ways to advertise, such as General Electric commissioning muralists to paint its logo onto three tower blocks and Converse transforming pedestrians' shadows into sponsored street art. Most of São Paulo's ad spending shifted indoors and online. Eletromidia, a São Paulo firm acquired by Globo in 2024, now operates about 66,000 digital panels in malls and metro stations. Digital advertising in Brazil is projected to grow from $3.1 billion in 2025 to $4.6 billion by 2029. Despite the return of ads, few other cities have followed São Paulo's full example. Some European cities, like Bucharest, have implemented restrictions on outdoor advertising, while others, such as Grenoble and Nantes, have removed hoardings and electronic billboards. Amsterdam has banned ads for petrol cars and flights. Paris has paused plans for new digital boards due to lobbying by Résistance à l’Agression Publicitaire. São Paulo's mayor, Ricardo Nunes, has backed proposals to soften the Clean City Law, such as the Boulevard São João project, which involves wrapping four buildings in LED panels. Proponents of the original law argue that the absence of advertising allows buildings to breathe and highlights the city's rich Art Deco architecture. They also contend that advertising is ubiquitous through television and online sources, suggesting that walking down the street should provide a break from commercial messages.",
  "summary": "The city that abolished outdoor advertising is having second thoughts. Two decades on, the admen it banished have found their way back in. Walking around São Paulo for the first time, very little looks out of place. Certainly, there are few signs that the city has, for the past two decades, been the site of […] Out of sight was originally published on Emerging Europe .",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}