Dipster:
Ads painted onto buildings used to be very popular in France. Some were large covering the entire end of a house or barn. They probably took several days to paint too. am not sure when they were most used but it must have been dying out by the 60’s. Perhaps other Francophiles on the forum might know. I seem to remember most of them being for oil companies or vehicle manufacturers or dealers. But there were some food companies promoted too. I only saw them afters years of fading in the sun when they looked quaint. Perhaps when new and more visually imposing they might have been considered by some as eyesores.
America had all the razzamataz in the '40s so in post-war Europe, brightly-painted wall adverts gave an impression of commercial prosperity and freedom; especially when compared with those countries still behind the iron curtain. East Germany, for example, had no street advertising other than their own faded pre-war murals. I hate advertising hoardings but I do admit to having a soft spot for some of the more artistic offerings painted on French walls. Ro