Pigeons Are Rats With Wings And Outdoor Advertising Companies Are Wraps With Wildposting

Illegal outdoor advertising is an aesthetic crime, perpetrated by smarmy third-party outfits who are no better than real estate brokers (sure, beat up on brokers!):

Under the cover of construction, ads for some of the world’s biggest brands are taking up residence at many of New York’s most prestigious addresses, including many buildings designated as landmarks. So far, Stringer’s PR campaign seems to have had little affect on the number of illegal ads vying for public attention.

Why do these blatantly illegal ads flourish in plain sight, despite the vocal opposition?

It’s one of those urban paradoxes: Some of the most conspicuous objects in the city are affixed to some of the most famous addresses in town, but it’s not clear to the casual observer how they got there. We know the brand in the ad, we know the address. But the middlemen are the mystery.

Upon further investigation, some of the mystery is revealed: It turns out that the recent construction site blight has a lot to do with a group of firms known as outdoor advertising companies (OAC).

Outdoor ad agencies are like real estate agencies for outdoor ad space. They are the brokers who bring landlords and brands together.