Yes, I mean all advertisement, with exceptions like being able advertise on a business's own premises or upon explicit request like signing up for a newsletter (on purpose, not due to dark pattern fuckery). But no jamming third party advertisements everywhere imaginable or first party advertisement into products that aren't just ads.
Honestly, I'd take a slightly different tack: ban all advertising except that which focuses on product features (like a lot of old-timey ads did), and then have strong enforcement of penalties for false advertising. Then limit innovation in delivery to places where it's both not intrusive and already established (e.g. media publications, etc).
The manipulation and excessive proliferation has to stop, but I don't think there's anything inherently wrong with a business being able to reach out to tell people about what they're selling. There just needs to be strong regulation to speak for other interests in society.
Advertising is a multi-billion dollar industry who spends millions yearly on figuring out how to manipulate us into buying things we don't need. The average person has no chance against this manipulation.
Banning all advertising would also destroy many small businesses. Interstate billboards are a nuisance, no doubt, but I can’t tell you how many roadside markets, small restaurants, etc I’ve visited while traveling that I’d never have known about otherwise.
So what? Society should be structured for the benefit of the people rather than corporations, which are only useful to the extent that they benefit people. We don't need or want all possible businesses, just the ones that are sufficiently useful without being too harmful.
Funny, billboards have been banned here in Maine for decades, and small businesses do very very well in this tourist driven economy. Meanwhile you cross the border to new hampshire and are immediately pestered with garbage advertising that provides no benefit to your life.
There’s a difference between a destination and a waypoint.
If I’m driving through, say, Georgia, I’m not there as a tourist, I’m desperately trying to get away from it, probably via the interstate.
But I’d rather stop at an interesting restaurant that I spot via a billboard than whatever fast food chain happens to be camping out at the next interchange.
Funny, because the billboards I see always seem to be for places like McDonalds, not the hole in the wall, niche place where you get an awesome plate of food for $10, because they can't compete with the fast food industry for billboard space.
