Advertising Location: Considerations and Constraints

Giant advertising hoardings next to the motorway or paper flyers on the windscreens of cars stopped at traffic lights? What’s the best way to capture potential customers on the move? Plenty of options but will it do the trick and is it within the law? Working out where ads should go is as much about trial and error as it is about past experience and local knowledge.

The law

It may seem that adverts are everywhere, but in the United Kingdom, the placement of outdoor signs and adverts is tightly controlled. The Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) Regulations 2007 set out guidance as to where signs can and cannot be placed, together with their size and number.

As with so many aspects of the law there is no black and white so it will be up to local councils to have the final say, ensuring that the roadside doesn’t become too cluttered or the view spoiled. By no means every hoarding needs planning permission but new sites require approval to avoid our roads and outdoor spaces being filled with a mass of giant billboards.

Most billboard advertising sites are already pre-approved by the local authority and so space can be booked for a specified period of time. These are defined as Class 9 advertisements which are in public places and in good locations such as by the sides of roads or on bus shelters. Class 9 adverts also include information kiosks and purpose-built structures in high footfall areas such as public shopping precincts.

Sites not needing planning permission

Thankfully there several classes of advert types which do not need planning permission from the local authority. These include banners or billboards displayed on enclosed land such as at a football stadium, inside a shopping centre or on a railway station platform. Such locations can be ideal, with high footfall and in many cases a captive audience giving the advert considerable exposure.

Choosing the right locations for adverts needs a strategy which requires constant review. Doing your fieldwork and using local knowledge must be part of this. The advert needs to work for the specific location, with the passing traffic taking in the message. The advertising specialists at Bubble have a wealth of experience to ensure that the right ad goes in the right place with the right design and message.