Last year, the city of Sao Paulo, Brazil, announced that it would be banning all forms of outdoor advertising. For a city with 20 million people and thousands of businesses, the new law has turned out to be quite controversial, and the change in the scenery very dramatic.

Don E. Schultz, in the June 15, 2008, issue of Marketing News, called the new Sao Paulo “visually peaceful.” But there have been obvious drawbacks to the change, including a claimed loss of 20,000 jobs and other possible social impacts.

With billboards gone, bus stops vacant of ads, and store signs diminished to 1.5 meters per 10 meters of storefront, Sao Paulo has turned into an advertising graveyard. People seem to be enjoying the peace, but advertising agencies are very upset, calling the new restrictions “unreal, ineffective and fascist.”

Consumers must now rely on other forms of advertising in order to find products and services they are looking for. Television, Radio, and Internet advertising are now more important than ever to the citizens of Sao Paulo. This will most likely create huge opportunities for web marketing companies.

So if you’re thinking of expanding to international markets, you might consider brushing up on your Portuguese.

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