n the chaotic urban sprawl of Brazil's biggest city, the impact of advertising is impossible to ignore.
Massive billboards and skyscraper-sized hoardings line the streets of Sao Paulo, flaunting their wares at motorists caught in the city's ever-present traffic jams.
The choice of products on display sometimes bears witness to the uninhibited nature of Brazilian society.
A remarkable number of ads feature giant images of men and women dressed only in their underwear, while the Brazilian edition of Playboy is publicised with huge posters and cut-outs of the latest centrefold models.
It all adds to the sensory overload of a city that many see as South America's version of the hi-tech cityscape portrayed in the film Blade Runner.
But Sao Paulo's mayor, Gilberto Kassab, takes a dim view of this non-stop barrage of product promotion - much of which, admittedly, has been put up illegally.
He calls it "visual pollution" - and if he has his way, all big public advertising displays will soon be banned from the city.
