Daily Shoot: Find something that's so old it's almost timeless and make a photograph of it.
While this ad is of a time - its content dates itself, advertising has been around for a long time. Whether it was the fish mongers calling out their wares or the pictures outside a shop luring customers inside, people have always found ways to convince others that they needed your product. As times have changed, it is hard to imagine building walls painted with cigarette advertising. Here it is not cigarette advertising is not even allowed at events - so sponsorship by tobacco companies is limited. This wall was revealed when the next door building burnt down. It was probably not there long before the neighbouring building covered it as it is barely weathered.
This ad shows its age in a number of other ways - the price certainly is one. Here in Quebec, outdoor advertising must be in French - not the case here. This section of Montreal has always been predominantly English, so when this was painted it was aiming at the local population.
The wall will soon disappear again, to be hidden by new construction (more condos) to replace the destroyed structure.
You can see another example of an old ad on a building here.
