As anti-billboard legislation gradually reduces the number of billboards in cities such as Houston, an alternative form of marketing is emerging to fill the void. Called fleetside advertising, this fledgling trend involves slapping big advertisements on the sides of big rigs rolling down the highway. In year's past, advertising on trucks basically has been limited to companies gussying up their own delivery vehicles. Trucks festooned with the logos of beer companies are familiar sights on Houston roadways. It's hard to get a permit for a new billboard.
Television is oversaturated with too many channels.
One of the things that's out there to stay is trucks running around all over the place. An example of the new type of marketing is the 10 trucks in Houston that are sporting advertisements for the Texas Lottery. A big digital display on the side tells motorists and pedestrians the amount of the current Lotto Texas jackpot. The Lottery experimented with a few trucks in El Paso last year. That test boosted lottery sales there, emboldening the agency to seek a bigger laboratory.