Our World

Billboards Become Popular in Lebanon Landscape

In an attempt to rebuild the country of Lebanon the country is using advertisements to give people hope. While billboards and signs were not popular in the country years ago have now been introduced to the landscape. Many of the billboards are put up by banks advertising low interest rates and encouraging people to invest money into the bank. Others are from manufacturers looking for business advertising washing machines, refrigerators and other home appliances.
Many of the billboards contain bridges. They include sayings such as “You destroyed the bridges, so we crossed through people’s hearts.” “Together we will rebuild the bridges between today and tomorrow.” or “Keep Walking”. The signs are an attempt to rebuild pride and unity in the war stricken country.
A gueriila group, Hezbollah, has put as much as $140,000 into the creation of adds. Their campaign in called “Divine Victory” and they have hundreds of billboards across the country. Adds can be read in Arabic, English and French. More negative posters put out by the group include pictures of dead children and destructed cites with the words “Made in the U.S.A”.
The addition of billboards to Lebanon shows a sign of western inspired ideas moving into other countries. Also with the billboards being in different languages the country is showing a more diverse cultural acceptance.

posted by Anonymous @ 10/15/2006 09:29:00 PM