Flyposting

Flyposted posters in Manchester, England.

Fly posters advertising The Strawbs, Budgie, George Melly, and other acts in Maidenhead, 1976.

Flyposting is the act of placing advertising posters or flyers in illegal places. In the United States, these posters are known as bandit signs, snipe signs, or street spam.

In most areas, it is illegal to place such posters on private property without the consent of the property owner, or to post on public property without a sign permit from the local government. Some areas, however, have public bulletin boards where notices may be posted.

It is an advertising tactic mostly used by small businesses promoting concerts and political activist groups, but there have been occasions where international companies subcontracted local advertising agencies for flyposting jobs in order not to get caught in illegal behavior, as a form of guerrilla marketing. In 2004, Sony Music and BMG were threatened with anti-social behaviour orders by Camden Borough Council for illegal flyposting.

Flyposting is commonly seen as a nuisance due to issues with property rights, visual appearance and littering and is a misdemeanor in many countries. In India, the Election Commission has banned this practice, but it continues unabated.

A particularly noteworthy incident of this type occurred in Boston, Massachusetts. In the case of the 2007 Boston Mooninite Scare, advertisers had placed electronic signboards without notifying local authorities, prompting a costly reaction by the Boston Police Bomb Squad when the signs were mistaken for bombs.

See also

• Guerrilla marketing
• Wheatpaste
• Post No Bills
• Election litter

Further reading

• Tarantino, A (2011): Seattle Street Art — A Visual Time Capsule Beyond Graffiti - Volume 1, Createspace, ISBN 0-615-45190-X

External links

• Fly-posting in Victorian London
• Citizens Against Ugly Street Spam
• Fly-posting on a virtual wall