Flex boards preferred for outdoor publicity

Kakinada, Dec. 13: Gone are the days when individuals and political parties depended on banners, wall posters and pamphlets for publicity. In the techno age, flex boards have taken the place of posters and banners. Politicians, community leaders and even heads of religious organisations now prefer flex boards to old-style posters.Earlier, organisations and parties had to wait at the doors of local artists to design wall posters and banners. However, this has ended with the emergence of flex boards. It has also affected the livelihood of many local artists.

These boards are of flex sheets (thick polythene sheets), and can be readied within no time as per the liking of the advertiser. The low cost and the easy mobility have also created a craze for flex boards. Some film producers and distributors are also going for flex boards these days. For making a big banner, local artists take two days and charge Rs 10,000, whereas the flex board of the same size can be made within one hour by one person at comparatively much cheaper price.

"We used to charge Rs 4,000 for a board of the same size a year ago but because of competition, we have reduced the rate to Rs 2,000 now," said Mr V. Vasu. "This includes charges for erecting the board." Flex boards have now invaded the public space even in remote rural areas of the state.

However, the preponderance of flex boards has also become a huge public menace. Giant size flex boards at busy junctions are obstructing the view of traffic and causing accidents. Also, many local leaders have taken to erecting huge flex boards to get personal publicity since they don't cost much. This has irked fans of film stars who think that huge cut outs are a privilege reserved only to their icons.