The Painted Bulletin Advertising Association book was assembled in 1924 by the Detroit-based Painted Bulletin Advertising Association and contains 70 photographs of a wide range of commercial and public service billboards as well as typescript text regarding strategies for increasing sales with billboard advertising.
The volume (28.5 x 25 cm) has black leather covers and serves as a comprehensive primer on the advantages of using "painted bulletins" to increase sales for companies with products as diverse as building supplies, dairy products, furniture sales, and men's clothing. Likely distributed to advertising agencies across the country to bolster the Painted Bulletin Advertising Association’s efforts in increasing the use of billboards by local businesses, the volume provides case studies and testimonials as well as detailed analyses drawing on the latest census data and consumer psychology. Specific talking points and strategies are offered to convince business owners that billboard advertising will increase their sales. A brief section is also included describing how billboards can be employed for drawing attention to important community issues.
All 70 photographs included in the volume are canvas-backed, stamped "Smith Brothers, Commercial Photographers, …Detroit, Mich.," and depict billboard designs or actual billboards in situ. Several images provide detailed descriptions of the colors used in various elements of each design, and many are mounted on cloth backing.
The volume includes the following sections:
- "Building Boom" - Eight pages on successful outdoor advertising by construction companies with examples from around the country.
- 18 pages of photographs with detailed description of colors used in billboard designs for various products.
- "Promotion Literature on Furniture Accounts" – 12-page case study of advertising strategies of 15 companies with 13 photographs of billboard designs.
- Two-page October 1923 association newsletter with a case study of a department store's use of billboards.
- "Dairy Products" – 12 pages of case studies on dairy companies' use of billboards including 13 photographs.
- "How the Painted Bulletin Can Serve the Community" – Five pages (and five photographs) on how billboards can be used to highlight local issues.
- "Economy of Outdoor Advertising" – One-page testimonial letter from the head of a New York advertising firm.
- "Information and Data on Painted Bulletin Advertising Campaigns by Manufacturers of Building Materials" – 10-page comparative study of various companies plus 10 photographs.
- "Outdoor Advertising Campaigns" – Eight pages of examples of usage by department stores around the country with six photographs.
