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elfsEvery state has billboards by the side of the road advertising something. But you have to wonder about Florida: two-thirds of all standalone outdoor advertising in this state is dedicated to law firms.
In Washington, there's no one overriding theme to outdoor advertising. There's a lot of insurance advertising, and a lot of fast food advertising, and a lot of digital service-oriented advertising (cable TV, internet, other service providers). But there's plenty of space for smaller services-- plumbers, coffee, medical services, non-franchise restaurants. It's very diverse.
In Florida, there's none of that. Two-thirds of all outdoor advertising is law firms, most of which cover "Personal Injury." It's kinda scary: do people get hurt more often in Florida? Apparently, different states' Bar Associations have different rules, and in Florida the rule is "anything goes." And many law firms (and there are many, many, many law firms visible along most major causeways, too-- one owned a two-story spanish manse occupying a whole city block in Fort Lauderdale!) have the cash to squeeze everyone else out of the advertising market. At one major intersection in Tampa, there were four full-sized billboards looming out over the thoroughfares, and all four were for lawfirms-- two for the same woman in a cream pantsuit, one for three old guys in old-school power suits, and one for two glowering bullet-headed thugs promising "Aggressive Representation!" All were personal injury, although the old guys promised they could do "maritial issues" as well.
It gives the impression that everyone in Florida is suing everyone else. That's the only explanation for the bizarre phenomenon. After the thousandth billboard or so, you start to wonder why it's so blatant and excessive.
In Washington, there's no one overriding theme to outdoor advertising. There's a lot of insurance advertising, and a lot of fast food advertising, and a lot of digital service-oriented advertising (cable TV, internet, other service providers). But there's plenty of space for smaller services-- plumbers, coffee, medical services, non-franchise restaurants. It's very diverse.
In Florida, there's none of that. Two-thirds of all outdoor advertising is law firms, most of which cover "Personal Injury." It's kinda scary: do people get hurt more often in Florida? Apparently, different states' Bar Associations have different rules, and in Florida the rule is "anything goes." And many law firms (and there are many, many, many law firms visible along most major causeways, too-- one owned a two-story spanish manse occupying a whole city block in Fort Lauderdale!) have the cash to squeeze everyone else out of the advertising market. At one major intersection in Tampa, there were four full-sized billboards looming out over the thoroughfares, and all four were for lawfirms-- two for the same woman in a cream pantsuit, one for three old guys in old-school power suits, and one for two glowering bullet-headed thugs promising "Aggressive Representation!" All were personal injury, although the old guys promised they could do "maritial issues" as well.
It gives the impression that everyone in Florida is suing everyone else. That's the only explanation for the bizarre phenomenon. After the thousandth billboard or so, you start to wonder why it's so blatant and excessive.
