Reklama

W 2023 roku Journal of Geography, Politics and Society opublikował artykuł Edyty Masierek „Advertising in the urban landscape as a theme for educational activities on the example of a field practice in Pabianice” (Reklama w krajobrazie miejskim jako temat działań edukacyjnych  na przykładzie praktyk terenowych w Pabianicach). Autorka jest adiunktem w Instytucie Zagospodarowania Środowiska i Polityki Przestrzennej, Wydział Nauk Geograficznych UŁ. Pod jej kierownictwem została przeprowadzona analiza ponad tysiąca komunikatów reklamowych występujących na tzw. Trakcie Kapituły Krakowskiej (ulice Warszawska, Stary Rynek, Zamkowa) -  od szyldów, tablic ogłoszeniowych, gablotek, plakatów, afiszy,  stempli,  banerów, zwykłych kartek papieru, naklejek po pylony i ekrany LED. Reklamy w większości dotyczyły  sfery usług, m. in.  oferty handlowej i napraw motoryzacyjnych, a także finansów i ubezpieczeń oraz cateringu i branży beauty.

Autorka artykułu wraz ze swoimi studentami zrealizowała w Pabianicach również takie projekty badawcze,  jak „Wpływ infrastruktury społecznej na jakość życia mieszkańców osiedla Piaski” (2018), „Rewitalizacja  Starego Rynku w Pabianicach” (2019), „Rola zieleni w rewitalizacji miasta na przykładzie Parku im. J. Słowackiego w Pabianicach” (2020),

(…) The field practise was prepared for first-year students of Spatial Management Master’s Programme. Its aim was to diagnose the intensity of advertising in the city’s main street, and then  to critically  assess and formulate conclusions and recomendation based on the assesment. As part of preparation for the class, a lecture on the  spatial structure and the most imprtant conditions of Pabianice was given to the participants by a representative of the City Hall, so that the students could become better acquainted with the site of the field research.

A research tool was then developed in the form of an inventory card which included a list of all the advertisements presented in the study area, considering their location type, volume and technical condition. In addition , space was left to mark where there was the highest  concentration of adverisements and where they clearly did not suit the surroundings.

Diverse types of advertising were selected, i.e. signboard, window films, banners, pieces of paper, billboards, posters, advertising glass cases, tresle, posters, citylights, LED advertising, megaboards, totems.

The fieldwork was conducted in June 2018 in Pabianice, a town with a population of approximately 58,600 inhabitants  (Raport … 2022) belonging to the Łódź agglomeration. The research  involved a fragment of the city’s thoroughfare , known as Trakt Kapituły Krakowskiej, with a length of approximately 2.3 km (a sequence of Zamkowa, Stary Rynek, Warszawska streets), which was selcted together with representatives of the Pabianice City Hall. It represents a characteristic axis of the urban composition of Pabianice with an east-west layout. It concentrates objects and functions related to its development, including the Old Market Square, which, after the creation of the New Town, has definitely lost its importance, as is clearly visible both in the spatial spatial structure of the city and in the inhabitants’ perception of this place. (…)

Therefore, an important element in teaching (using different forms of classes) is to create opportunities to continuously link theory and practise and to „confort” students withy the real challanges of planning, organising planning, organising and managing space. This is possibile, among other things by continuous contacts with various local authorities. One such example is the cooperation with the city of Pabianice undertaken by the Author of this publication in 2016 which resulted in various  educational activities including: completed M.A. theses addressing important topics for the city, e. g. influance of social infrastructure on the quality of life of residents of Piaski housing estate in Pabianice (2018);

 revitalisation of the Old Market area in Pabianice (2019) or Aspect of the green in urban revitalisation the example of Juliusz Słowacki Park in Pabianice (2020);

specialised field studies as part of which a research project was conducted  with residents entitled „How to change the old Market Squares in Pabianice?” (Jak zmienić … 2016); specialty field practise, which included an inventory of advertisements, in the space of the city’s main street (2018) which is the subject of this article.

The purpose of the latter wasw to lay the basis for a discussion about the city’ advertising chaos  and to begin corrective steps in this area. (…)  

The results of the survey confirm that advertisements are present in the selected area in high concentration and, more over, they often clearly contrast  with the surroundings or cover up monuments.

A total of 1,609 different cases of advertising were inventoried. Signboards and film on glass are the largest in number, accounting for 30% and 22% of all advertisements  respectively. So-called „pieces of paper” (8.1%) were also fund in relative abundance, often pastel on trees or lampposts being small advertisements. The open category „other” included advertisements occuring on vehicles or umbrellas in beer gardens and outdoor restaurants.

93% of the inventoried advertisements realated to the activities carried out at the location. 88 % of the media were on buildings. Most were smali advertisements with a surface of less than 1 m 2. Overall, the technical condition of the advertisements in the study area was assessed as good. However, 1/3 of the media received the lowest score in terms of aesthetics.

According to the classification of economic activities adopted in the study, the  most frequently advertised industry is retail and wholesale trade and repair of motor vehicles excluding motorbikes. Apart from these, there is numerous advertising media reporting on financial, insurance and catering activities.

A high proportion of adverising was also attirbuted to other service activities (e.g. repair of electronic equipment, watches, jewellery or shoes, haidressing or beauty services). This show the clearly service-oriented nature of Pabianice’s main street. (…)

The results of the research presented in this article may inspire a broader discussion on the subject. A good diagnosis of the existing situation should always be a starting point for any initiated action and plans. The conducted analyses show that, as a rule, this should at least eliminate poor quality advertising,  minimise the content and form of advertisements and avoid repetition, establish the proportion of advertisements in relation to the objects on which they are placed, match colours to the surroundings.

Students participations in the described activities in addition to practicing the skills associated with doing their own inventory work and analysing it, also had opportunity to meet representatives of the Pabianice City Hall and participate in a Project directly responsing to the Leeds of the placement.

This was certainly additional motivation to complete the task reliably and to present themselves at their best to a potential employer or client. The fact that the final study was not used by the Office is, despite appearances, another interesting issue  to discuss with the students and explain the often non-obvious reality.

Autor: Sławomir Saładaj