Advertising is done differently in this part of the world.
Sure, we have people dress up in silly costumes and hold signs to draw in customers in the US.
But this is different. This seems much worse.
Human Billboards
This is on Avenida Santa Fe at Plaza Italia, one of the busiest parts of the city. These workers are out here it seems every weekday afternoon for hours.
When the light turns red, dude in charge blows the whistle, and the group walks out to proudly display they ads. As the light is about to change, dude blows whistle, and everyone walks back to the sidewalk. Repeat.
These guys look like they are ready for Jamaica holidays lying on a beach and not lifting their arms for a while.
In the first post in this odd jobs series, I told you about a job I would actually enjoy as a dog walker (as long as no one starts enforcing the new law that you have to pick up dog poo).
This job… not so much.
5 Reasons I Would Hate This Job
- Breathing all of the exhaust from this high-traffic area.
- Sore arms.
- Bored to death within 10 minutes.
- Melting into a pool of sweat during the heat of the summer.
- The horn-honking in this city, especially on Santa Fe is out of control. The incessant honking would probably drive me insane, and I would be laying on the ground in the fetal position.
Wow I’ve never seen something like that. It must be a terrible and boring job. I agree with you!
Sebastian recently posted..Photo of the Week: Sunset in Puerto de Soller, Mallorca
The bad thing is you know there are probably worse jobs than this.
The Travel Chica recently posted..3 Strategies to Taste the Best Wines at a Wine Expo
kidding me right??? right??? i wouldnt be happy doing this but i need to, i guess its not a choice.
wow! you traveling solo everywhere…. WOW! WOW! I trully envy you.
No joke. I don’t know how many intersections they do this around the city, but I’ve seen at least 3.
The Travel Chica recently posted..3 Strategies to Taste the Best Wines at a Wine Expo
I think this human billboards is more effective. it is actually my first time to see this human billboard. Thanks a lot for sharing this to us. I am sure people who will be seeing this will also be amazed with this post.
Julie Hayes recently posted..SMS
How awful! Is it mostly students who have these jobs?
Sophie recently posted..Travel photo – Norwich Market, after hours
No clue. I have never actually approached them to ask any questions. Maybe now that my Spanish is improving, I will.
The Travel Chica recently posted..3 Strategies to Taste the Best Wines at a Wine Expo
Oh no, this would not be fun.
When I was in Rio de Janeiro, I saw women in the malls who walked around all day cleaning the black smudges peoples shoes left on the floors. I felt bad for them!
Cheryl recently posted..Street Art In Cologne’s Belgian Quarter.
That sounds like a pretty awful job too.
The Travel Chica recently posted..3 Strategies to Taste the Best Wines at a Wine Expo
Ugh – imagine inhaling all that exhaust!
Andrea recently posted..A Reminder About Tax-Free Shopping
I guess if you had your ipod….
That would be a MUST!! You would need the latest and greatest with long battery life to get you through the day …. Unfortunately, I doubt they can afford an iPod, especially since electronics are double the cost here.
The Travel Chica recently posted..3 Strategies to Taste the Best Wines at a Wine Expo
…it wouldn’t be SO bad.
NLM recently posted..Square Foot Limbo…
I would hate this job as well, but at least they don’t have to wear a hot chicken costume and dance around as I have seen in Canada and the U.S.
Laurel recently posted..Caving at Horne Lake Caves on Vancouver Island
I think I might prefer that. At least there is some amount of variety, and your identity is concealed by the giant chicken head
The Travel Chica recently posted..3 Strategies to Taste the Best Wines at a Wine Expo
Makes me miss Buenos Aires even more…
Michael recently posted..Scan Your Website For Malware (Or False Detections)
I suppose it is better than wanting and not having work…but not by much.
Philip recently posted..The Great American Road Trip–Part III
Good point.
The Travel Chica recently posted..3 Strategies to Taste the Best Wines at a Wine Expo
Hmm, this makes me feel less justified in complaining about my job. My back hurts just thinking about doing this.
Cherina recently posted..Wolf Watching in Yellowstone National Park
I know what you mean.
The Travel Chica recently posted..3 Strategies to Taste the Best Wines at a Wine Expo
What is “El Guardian” that all these walking billboards are advertising for? Looks like a gossip magazine of some sort.
Steve recently posted..The Plaza Hotel in New York – How Not To Get Ice
No clue!
I would hate this job too. I probably will start dancing with the boards if I have to be there for hours. Sometimes the job may seen easy, but those are the worst kinds that take most stamina to do.
Annie – FootTracker recently posted..Monterey(3) Valley of Luxury & Hotness~Porsche Rennsport Reunion@Laguna Seca
I used to think I’d want a mindless job because it would be easy. Now I know that is the worst type of job for me.
The Travel Chica recently posted..A Great Wine Tasting in Buenos Aires
They’re really into entertaining cars stopped at red lights there. I remember, too, jugglers jumping into intersections when the cars were stopped.
Abby recently posted..Cirque du Soleil: Behind the Scenes
Oh, yes. Lots of those too! I’ve never once seen someone actually give money to one… but they must get enough to make it worth their time.
The Travel Chica recently posted..A Great Wine Tasting in Buenos Aires
Ok, I wouldn’t like to do this job either. I’m picky!
Laura recently posted..How I Fell In Love With Watercolors Following The Brown Rabbit
Ha!!! We have these advertiser types in Manchester, NH too! Dressed up, signs on the sidewalks! Another great post!
Karl
Karl recently posted..South Moat Mountain With My Favorite Hiking Partner!
Why is it so bad that people are working? Sorry, I do not understand that.
Would you rather have them begging in the streets?
Nothing wrong with doing a task that you get paid for doing – no matter how mundane or boring.
It is how some millionaires are made.
Welcome to the 2billion people that do boring things to get by and not starve to death.
I think it is great someone has figured out a way to charge money for adds, make arrangements to have people with the signs and then have a “foreman”.
Everyone wins by making some money to live on.
Capitalism is great!
Cheers,
John D. Wilson
John D. Wilson recently posted..Rain, states of emergency, Occupy Wall Street – interesting times
Not saying it’s bad that people are working. In fact, the whole point of the odd jobs series is pointing out how creative people are in identifying demand and figuring out a way to make money from it.
The uniqueness of this city provides the opportunity for jobs you wouldn’t see in other parts of the world.
That being said, I think some jobs are worse than others, and this is one I simply couldn’t do.
The Travel Chica recently posted..A Great Wine Tasting in Buenos Aires
Hmmm- they weren’t doing this when I lived in BA about 10 years ago. (They just had the standard “malabares”- the jugglers who come out at the red lights), Seems like a return to old-school advertising 😉
Leslie of Downtown Traveler recently posted..The making of a street art mural: Interview with Montreal artist Reuben Peter-Finley (photos)
Estos muchachos (son mayormente jóvenes, pobres y sin estudios), pueden ganarse unos pesos trabajando unas horas por día. Y como dice John
Wilson, no están agrediendo ni robando.
Si, yo entiendo. Es mejor que otras cosas.
The Travel Chica recently posted..A Great Wine Tasting in Buenos Aires
I think the main problem with those particular human billboards is the army outfits they wear. It took my at least 3 traffic jams to work out that they weren’t part of some weird-arse police, army or political party and were simply just advertising things. You’d think if the outfits are supposed to make the people blend into the background, they might’ve chosen something asphalt-coloured.
Ashley recently posted..Imperialistas!
I never thought about that because the first time I saw them I was with an Argentine who pointed out what they were doing. I can definitely see the confusion though and agree with you on trying an asphalt-colored outfit
The Travel Chica recently posted..A Great Wine Tasting in Buenos Aires
This is a pretty bad one. Getting in front of cars in BA is always a bad idea. Plus, motorcycles don’t stop for red lights, so I imagine they have several near death experiences per day.
Rease recently posted..Being Skinny Freaks Me Out
I didn’t even think about the motorcycles. Definitely a hazardous job!
Wow! I will have to show this to Jame next time that he complains that HIS job is boring,…!
Jade Johnston recently posted..Heading out to Sea with a Monarch Wildlife Cruise
That is a good way to look at it!
The Travel Chica recently posted..The Impressive Teatro Colon Opera House in Buenos Aires
Hey The Travel China girl….this guys in Buenos Aires don’t want to do that labor job either. They just have to, if there is nothing else…you cannot see it, because you probably come from a country that is more powerful…well, however…I lived in the US for more than a decade and, believe me, you can find terrible jobs and being exploited in the middle of 5th avenue as well….Sad ha!?