Outdoor advertising pioneer dies at age 78

(Marketingmagazine.com.my) – Jean-Claude Decaux, founder of the world’s largest outdoor advertising firm, passed away on May27th at the age of 78.

According to Forbes, he was worth USD7 billion. Jean-Claude founded his outdoor advertising firm in 1964 and only stepped down as CEO in 2000 handing over the reins to both his sons. Jean-Francois and Jean-Charles.

He was said to have invented the idea of “street furniture” — public spaces, such as bus shelters, that feature space for ads. The company was also the first to set up automatic public toilets in Paris, a space which was then used to feature its ads

The company broke new grounds in 2014 when it broke the Guinness World Record for creating the world’s largest outdoor advertising billboard at Riyadh’s King Khaled International Airport in Saudi Arabia.

Picture credits to Guinness World Record

JCDecaux is one of the world’s largest outdoor advertising firm, selling ad space on some 140,000 bus stops, 145 airports, and train and subway stations around the world.