Times Square Electric Signs

Times Square Electric Signs make it one of the most expensive outdoor advertising locations in the world.

The roughly 230 Times Square ads are estimated to be seen by up to 500,000 people per day.

The advertising mecca started with the first electric advertisement in 1904 when the New York Times relocated to Times Square. The first electrified ads hailed the virtues of Studebaker wagons, Budweiser, and Trimble Whiskey. The trend caught on fast, and they were followed by huge ads for ladies’ corsets.

Manhattan: Broadway - 46th Street (West), 1920, NYPL — Manhattan: Broadway – 46th Street (West), 1920, NYPL

The next step in sensational and impactful advertising came with the advent of neon signage that came to America in the 1920s. The enormous electric advertising signs turned Times Square into a dazzling destination. The most popular attractions in the district – the eye-catching billboards, known appropriately as “spectaculars” – were free for spectators. As theaters and restaurants attracted more people to the area and technology improved, Times Square became a prime location for advertising. The crowds started coming specifically to see the giant advertising screens – a glittering and free attraction!

Times Square at Night, ca. 1935, MCNY digital collection

Samuel Herman Gottscho (1875-1971). New York City, Times Square. Pepsodent sign, December 9, 1930. Museum of the City of New York — Samuel Herman Gottscho (1875-1971). *New York City, Times Square. Pepsodent sign*, December 9, 1930. Museum of the City of New York

In the 1930s, the “spectaculars” became even more spectacular when the electric sign came to life with animated displays such as the steaming cup of coffee or the Super-Suds detergent ad producing 3,000 “floating” soap bubbles a minute. Of course, the most famous of them was the Camel cigarette sign.

Original smoking Camel sign, Times Square, NYPL — *Original smoking Camel sign, Times Square*, NYPL

The celebrated smoking Camel cigarette billboard in Times Square was designed by Douglas Leigh and mounted on the Hotel Claridge. (Photo, 1948)

Vachon, John, photographer. New York, New York. Camel cigarette advertisement at Times Square
. United States New York New York State, 1943 — The celebrated smoking Camel cigarette billboard in Times Square was designed by Douglas Leigh and mounted on the Hotel Claridge. (Photo, 1948)

An icon in Times Square, it was installed on the exterior of the Claridge Hotel in 1941 at the corner of Broadway and 44th. The man on the billboard blew huge “smoke” rings generated by a machine behind the sign that released steam every four seconds. During WW II, the blissfully smoking man on the billboard became a soldier, then a sailor, and an airman.

At the end of WWII, on August 14, 1945, happy crowds flooded Times Square to watch the announcement: “OFFICIAL – TRUMAN ANNOUNCES JAPANESE SURRENDER” slide across the news zipper on the Times Building.

New Yorkers took to the streets in Times Square to celebrate Japan’s surrender. Herb Breuer/New York Daily News

The Claridge Hotel was eventually replaced by Good Morning America studio with its remarkable wavy LED ribbon signage.

One Times Square, Nasdaq, Good Morning America

One Times Square – the internationally recognized home of the New Year’s Eve Ball – offers the most valuable advertising opportunity in the world. Once home to the New York Times, for years, it stood mostly vacant, but its exterior was one of the most expensive advertising spots in the world, generating over $23 million per year in advertising revenue.

Nasdaq LED display – one of the most powerful digital displays in Times Square – stands over seven stories tall and is capable of full-motion video. It receives worldwide coverage for opening and closing bell ceremonies when US markets are open, as well as the New Year’s Eve ball drop ceremony.

TIMES SQUARE FACTS

On average, about 380,000 pedestrians (up to 460,000 people on busy days) enter Times Square, while another 115,000 drive through.
In total, Times Square signage advertising can expect nearly 1.5 million impressions each day.
Over 85,000 pedestrians visit Times Square from 7 pm-1am.

How Much Does it Cost to Advertise in Times Square?

Times Square billboards are some of the most expensive in the world—fetching $60 million per year in revenue. The price varies between $5000 to $50,000 per day depending on the length of the type of the advertisement.

Which billboard in Times Square is the most expensive?

The largest Times Square billboard at 1535 Broadway, ABC news

The largest and most expensive billboard in Times Square is 1535 Broadway. The screen stands eight stories high and 330 feet wide ( almost as long as a football field), spanning the entire block on Broadway from 45th Street to 46th Street, and covering the facade of the Marriott Marquis Hotel. Owned by Vornado Realty Trust, it was rented by Google in 2014 for an incredible $2.5 million over four weeks of display time. This billboard measures around 25,000 square feet; for comparison, one-bedroom apartments in New York barely exceed 784 square feet.

Is There a 3D Billboard in Times Square?

There’s not just one but several 3D billboards in Times Square. The most popular one is at the intersection between Seventh Avenue and 47th Street.

How to get your picture on a billboard in Times Square?

Despite the enormous advertising prices in Times Square, it’s surprising that you can arrange to see your face on a giant “Welcome to Times Square” billboard for just $150! For that price, your photo will be featured on the screen for 15 seconds every hour during the day of your choosing. The slot can be booked on Times Square’s official website https://timessquarebillboard.com. Once you book it, you will see yourself on a billboard at 1560 Broadway between 46th and 47th Street (right above the Pele store)!