You there, wearing that Ralph Lauren-logo-ed shirt, does it matter much what state you actually reside in when your plate looks like a small billboard?
What of the ladies trotting around town with Donna Karan's logo plastered all over their handbag? They must not mind being used to advertise a company without receiving compensation.
To raise more money (and thus not have to cut any spending), the state of Illinois is considering a new line of license plates that feature some form of advertising. The sponsor would pay the state for the privilege, and the drivers would get to pay the same amount for their vehicle plates.
What if you're a vegan? Would you be able to choose not to promote McDonald's as you drive through the parking lot of Whole Foods?
Then there's the issue of who will be allowed to sponsor the tags. While a card-carrying member of the NRA would not object to advertising Smith & Wesson, it would be unseemly for a card-carrying pacifist.
The advertising tags will only work if the consumer has some say in which company they'll be stuck promoting, if they have to promote any company at all.
If you're a stockholder in one of the sponsoring companies, you'd have to ask yourself how effective this advertising scheme could be. Who reads license plates, unless you have a car full of small children in need of entertainment.
In Texas, the corporate plates generated a little more than $50,000 dollars for the state, money that came from advertising budgets. What is the rate of return on that investment? You wouldn't expect it to be much.
Maybe they're going for the subliminal advertising, the subtle approach that garners a response. A license plate featuring a picture of a delicious burger just might be effective at the height of the evening rush hour, when hungry commuters sit in traffic with nothing better to do than read license plates and realize how hungry they are.
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