Why advertising screens could make a comeback in the Lyon metropolitan area

This is a minor blow for the Green Party president of the Lyon Metropolitan Area, Bruno Bernard, and his vice-president for advertising reduction, Philippe Guelpa-Bonaro. In a decision handed down on June 3, which Lyon Capitale was able to consult, the Lyon Administrative Court annulled certain provisions of the Lyon Metropolitan Area's Local Advertising Regulations (RLP), particularly those relating to digital advertising.

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In total, three articles and three paragraphs of the text were annulled. The Lyon Metropolitan Area was also ordered to pay €1,500 to the companies Phenixdigital and Phinline, which initiated the proceedings. The administrative court notably annulled Article P1C1.8 of the RLP because it establishes a " general and absolute ban on digital advertising " that " is not justified by specific local circumstances ." " What a failure for these elected officials. But what a relief and what a success for the digital sector, which will be able to preserve its local jobs ," the National Digital Advertising Union declared on LinkedIn.

What is digital advertising? When we talk about digital advertising, two devices must be distinguished. The first is the advertising panel on the ground or wall, in public spaces, which broadcasts advertising videos. " There were fewer than ten in the metropolitan area in 2022 and they were all removed because they did not comply with the 2 m² rule introduced in the new RLP ," says Philippe Guelpa-Bonaro. The second device is broadly similar, but it is installed in shop windows. For both types of advertising, the administrative court recognized the legitimacy of the Metropolis to regulate them. However, it considered that their systematic ban was not sufficiently justified by the community.

Vice President Guelpa-Bonaro, for his part, considers that the courts " pointed out that the metropolis's intentions are not questionable, but that a justification was lacking ." He refuted this interpretation to Lyon Capitale: " Our justification is the fight against light pollution, which is included in the RLP guidelines. We felt it was unnecessary to explain, territory by territory, why we wanted to ban digital advertising. "

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The administrative court, however, upheld the measures aimed at limiting the size of digital advertising billboards to 2 m² (compared to 4 m² for traditional billboards), even though the applicant companies had requested the annulment of these provisions. They denounced differential treatment between traditional and digital advertising. The court deemed this treatment justified given the different nature of the devices. In concrete terms, this means that digital advertising billboards can once again be installed in the country, but they will remain subject to strict rules.

They will also only be able to be installed in commercial areas and on major urban axes, but not in heritage or natural areas, or in residential neighborhoods. " The unprecedented and ambitious intentions adopted by the Lyon Metropolis are confirmed through this judgment ," the authority noted in a press release. Digital devices in shop windows will therefore still be subject to a shutdown obligation, applicable to all from July 3. " There could be new requests for the installation of digital advertising panels, but the Metropolis will always be able to refuse them if it can justify it ," Philippe Guelpa-Bonaro told Lyon Capitale.

Will it be able to refuse them, however, if they meet the strict criteria of the RLP? " I don't know, " concedes the vice-president. He concludes: " We have two months to consider the follow-up to this decision. Either we appeal, or we provide new justifications in the RLP for the ban on digital advertising. "

In any case, the new RLP of the Lyon Metropolis will apply on July 3. It promises a reduction in the number of advertising billboards of approximately 75%, as well as the banning of rooftop advertising, which has already been removed . Existing paper advertising billboards and new ones installed after the RLP comes into force will no longer be able to exceed 4 m2, compared to 10 m2 previously. The administrative court's decision does not apply to advertising on the TCL network. Sytral, which had decided to remove all digital billboards in its metro stations, will not have to revise its copy.

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