Could you imagine Time Square without any bill-boards ? 

Me neither, that would look weird but I would love it. Well, Brazil is the worldwide front runner in banning avertising billboards. It happened 5 years ago in Såo Paulo. 

The law was passed to take down the over 15,000 billboards. Everything from ads on buses, store front ads and even logos. 

The business' were obviously freaked out and skeptics predicted revenue loss of $133 milliopn and over 20,000 lost jobs. They were also worried that the stripped down city would look ugly and be exposed of it's age. 

After 5 years of the "Clean City Law" the city seems to be running smoothly and properously 

 “Companies had to find their own ways to promote products and brands on the streets,” Lalai Luna, co-founder of ad agency Remix, told the Financial Times last year. “São Paulo started having a lot more guerilla marketing [unconventional strategies, such as public stunts and viral campaigns] and it gave a lot of power to online and social media campaigns as a new way to interact with people.”

I have a feeling if Såo Paulo (the 7th largest city in the world) can make it happen and successful, there may be some followers around the world.