What a concept? This used to be a spot for a billboard ad in Sao Paulo Brazil. Not anymore.

I remember back in the early 90’s when I traveled to Brazil and other parts of South America, just being bombarded with billboard coca cola ads, one after the other. It wasn’t pleasant and made my eyes squint.

Imagine my delight after learning about this interesting piece of international news. Last year, the mayor of the Brazilian city Sao Paulo (11 million inhabitants) passed a ‘clean city law’ in which the city stripped its advertising. No Posters. No flyers. No ads on buses. No ads on trains. :: Source: Business Week.

Nothing feeding our brains except our own minds.

Check out this blank billboard at the top of this building and the one in front of it.

According to many of the city’s inhabitants, these blank slates (so to speak) are much calmer on the eye. When recently asked how the city was doing, many people responded with words like ’serene’ and ‘relaxed.’

What a great way to stop subliminal advertising which can feed us messages we may not be asking for. That’s a refreshing idea and very healing to humans. May it spread to the rest of the world.