Somehow--somehow--companies survived and even thrived off of static advertisements that generally targeted recipients by dint of the estimated (not exact) audience of a given publication and by signage controlled by community policy and with pretty strict requirements around night-time lighting and sound-and-nuisance in general. Somehow, those companies found buyers for their stuff. I know it's shocking, but they did.

It was better then.

This "oh but what about a sign?!" is some /r/iamverysmart strawman junk and I would hope that you would be better than that.