When a sports franchise wins a championship, it usually wants to boast about it using all possible platforms.
In Florida, the Panthers ice hockey team celebrated winning the 2024 Stanley Cup by putting a billboard on a pontoon in the ocean.
An image of the sign was posted to the r/FloridaPanthers subreddit, but it didn't exactly impress onlookers — regardless of their fandom.
"Advertising on the ocean should be illegal," one person said.
While this wasn't exactly selling a product or service, it still seems like an unnecessary place to broadcast your success.
Other Redditors pointed out some of the irritating sales tactics employed in the area.
"I see geico ads in the sky every day," someone observed.
Indeed, unless you're a fan of a rival NHL team, insurance ads are perhaps more annoying to see when trying to enjoy a little peace and quiet by the water.
Advertising can negatively impact mental health. Professor Agnes Nairn of the University of Bristol in England has said, "A fairly substantial body of research agrees that those who feel bad about themselves and who are exposed to advertising are much more likely to rush to purchase all the toys, gadgets, and electronics that we are urged to buy. They think it will make them feel better. But of course it doesn't — it just creates a vicious circle of watching, wanting and poor well-being."
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Definitely 👍 Unattainable body and beauty standards and unrealistic depictions of happiness are often displayed on advertising material in an attempt to sell products and services. However, this just contributes to overconsumption, and in many cases, it increases the likelihood of items heading to methane-producing landfills when consumers eventually realize they don't actually need the product in question. Methane is a toxic gas that is far more potent in terms of planet-warming potential than carbon dioxide.
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There's also the impact on the ecosystem to consider. That billboard will disrupt marine life, and efforts to put up and take down signage will see boats going to and from the pontoon, polluting the ocean with fumes from dirty fuels in the process — not to mention debris from the boats, the sign, and the pontoon itself falling into the ocean.
Unfortunately, this isn't an isolated incident. It does, however, serve as a reminder of the many negative consequences related to advertising. Making your voice heard with your wallet and choosing not to support companies responsible for this sort of advertising can discourage these practices.
For the Florida Panthers, maybe sticking to the ice rather than venturing out into the water is the way to go.
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