• by Erik Sass  @eriksass1, December 13, 2010

Taxi-top billboards, among the oldest transportation advertising placements, are getting a makeover courtesy of Show Media, which is overhauling its fleet of taxi-top spots to make them three times brighter and 33% larger than before.

The eye-catching new taxi-top displays, designed by BlueMap Design and Distec GmbH of Germany, will be used to promote the new Broadway spectacular "Spider-Man Turn Off the Dark" and established favorite "Wicked," among other inaugural advertisers, including JetBlue.

Ads for the musicals will appear on 280 taxi top billboards, with 140 placements for each show, beginning in the first week of January and lasting for a total of eight weeks.

The new billboard spots, made from recycled aluminum and plastic, have been placed at a more readable level for pedestrians. They are 30% lighter than previous models, with a narrower profile, making taxis lighter and more aerodynamic, which reduces fuel consumption. New LED backlighting makes the displays brighter while reducing power (and fuel) consumption.

According to Show Media the new, brighter, larger ad spaces are already sold out through April of next year. The outdoor ad company said total revenues are set to jump from $9.2 million in 2009 to $15 million in 2010. A growth industry, revs are projected to reach $25 million in 2011, thanks in part to the new billboards.

Broadway shows, apparently unruffled by the recession, remain big business for the Big Apple. The 2009-2010 season, ending June 1, saw total revenues climb to $1.02 billion -- up 1.5% from 2008-2009, according to Playbill.com, making it the best season ever.

Ad spending for Broadway shows typically comes to about $95 million per year. Tourists coming to see Broadway shows injected about $5.2 billion into New York City's economy in the 2008-2009 theater season; Broadway employed about 84,400 people during that period.