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Something every artist, writer, singer, comedian, actor, or even social media influencer could ever hope for in their career is to be featured on the Times Square Billboards in New York City.
An area spanning several blocks in midtown with an incessant stimulation, the billboards in Times Square are often considered the highest and most honored form of advertising – often symbolizing to creators that they've “made it”.
However, how many of us have stopped to think about the amount of power it takes to keep those advertisements running 24/7?
In this article, we’ll recap what Times Square billboards are, why they are energy intensive, and some potential solutions.
One of the most sought-after places to visit when traveling to New York City, the billboards in Times Square are the massive screens spanning for several blocks in midtown Manhattan – depicting the energy of the city while also serving as one of the highest forms of advertising on Earth.
Similar to the Shibuya crossing in Tokyo or Sunset & Vine in Los Angeles, the Times Square billboards are one of the most famous commercial spots for advertising – often being the first of the three examples to come to mind.
Some more characteristics of a Times Square Billboard include:
👉 Overall, Times Square billboards are characterized by their immense size, brightness, dynamic content, interactivity, and global visibility, making them a quintessential feature of the New York City landscape and a symbol of modern advertising and commercialism.
Times Square wasn’t always the incessant stimulation powerhouse it is today, seeing as the first electronic advertisement didn’t go up in Times Square until 1904 – but the concept for Times Square billboards dates back to the 1880s.
💡Did you know that you could pay to have your advertisement featured on one of Times Square’s biggest billboards – starting at $40?
Times Square Billboards first started as large, hand painted displays – with the modern version of the Times Square billboards we know today starting in the 20th century.
However, the billboards in Times Square became as popular as they are today as a result of theaters moving to midtown in Manhattan during World War I. As these vivacious productions made their way up-town, so did hotels and restaurants – all of which helped to create the lively dynamic found in midtown today.
Overtime, Times Square became a highly desirable place in the city – which is what helped to spur the movement of creating the Times Square billboards we see today.
👉As of today, Times Square draws in around 50 million visitors each year.
Times Square billboards may be the most desired billboard to have your book, T.V. show, or album plastered on – but it isn’t the only billboard in the United States or the rest of the world, seeing as many will aim for a billboard in Los Angeles, London, Tokyo, or even during the Super Bowl in the United States.
In fact, the Super Bowl may be making its way to be on par with a Times Square billboard. The Super Bowl LVII, which aired on February 12, 2023, drew in a massive 123.4 million people – making it the most watched broadcast in the United States since the 1969 moon landing. It is important to note that while many tuned in to watch Usher’s halftime performance and Taylor Swift’s relationship with Travis Kelce in real time on-screen – a whopping 42% of Americans will tune into the Super Bowl just for the commercials.
The Super Bowl is infamous for airing new and specialized commercials during the final football game of the season, often featuring celebrities or other well-known public figures.
Here are a few other examples of famous billboards besides the ones in Times Square:
👉All of these iconic landmarks with billboards go to show how physical advertisements have not slowed down even whilst in the age of digital media.
Even in the age of social media and incessant technology usage, many industries still rely on billboard advertisements to get their product or service out there, and yet – we often fail to acknowledge the environmental impact of these drastic advertisements.
The amount of energy it takes to keep the Times Square billboards is likely to scare some people – seeing as it takes a massive 161 megawatts per day to keep the advertisements on. To put this massive energy consumption into perspective, that’s around the same amount of energy it takes to power 160,000 houses.
Other ways in which Times Square Billboards impact the environment include:
👉Times Square billboards aren’t going to go anywhere, meaning that it’s imperative we find a way to make their presence more sustainable moving forward.
Times Square’s billboards are an iconic part of the New York experience, meaning we shouldn’t get rid of them – but find ways to make them more eco-friendly in the midst of climate change.
Here some ideas to help reduce the environmental impact of Times Square billboards:
💡Did you know that the Eiffel Tower in France has also practiced energy conservation? As of recently, the Eiffel Tower started shutting off its lights and infamous “sparkle show” an hour earlier than usual to preserve power.
Ultimately, the billboards in Times Square and midtown itself will remain one of the most visited places in the world – meaning it’s imperative we find ways to decarbonize this famous landmark.
If reading this article about the impact of the Times Square billboards has made you interested in reducing your carbon emissions to further fight against climate change – Greenly can help you!
It can be challenging to determine the best solutions to determine the best advertising for your business, such as the Times Square billboards, but don’t worry – Greenly is here to help. Click here to schedule a demo to see how Greenly can help you find ways to effectively implement and utilize green finance.
Greenly can help you make an environmental change for the better, starting with a carbon footprint assessment to know how much carbon emissions your company produces.
Click here to learn more about Greenly and how we can help you reduce your carbon footprint.
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