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Hand-Painted Billboards Make Comeback With Help From Social Media

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Liam McWilliams works on a hand-painted billboard in lower Manhattan. (Topher Forhecz)
Liam McWilliams works on a hand-painted billboard in lower Manhattan. (Topher Forhecz)

Hand-painted billboards were part of a wave of outdoor advertising that was popularized by circuses and theaters in the 1800s. By the end of the century, it was a full-scale industry. But, fast-forward to the 2000s and companies had found easier, less costly ways to get their products on buildings and signs.

Today, the industry is growing again, and, as Topher Forhecz (@ForheczT) reports, it is in part because hand-painted billboards can now go viral online.

Colossal Media is a New York City-based hand-painted billboard company that produces about 450 murals annually across the country. (Topher Forhecz)
Colossal Media is a New York City-based hand-painted billboard company that produces about 450 murals annually across the country. (Topher Forhecz)

This segment aired on July 6, 2017.

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