Stanley Owen Green, known as the Protein Man, was a human billboard in central London in the latter half of the 20th century. One writer called him "the most famous non-famous person in London". According to Lynne Truss, Green became such a ubiquitous figure in and around Oxford Street in the West End that he was "present in every black-and-white picture of London crowds that one has ever seen".
Stanley Green in Oxford Street, 1977
Oxford Street, 1974
Near Oxford Street, 1974
One of Green's placards, Museum of London
A human billboard is someone who applies an advertisement on their person. Most commonly, this means holding or wearing a sign of some sort, but also may include wearing advertising as clothing or in extreme cases, having advertising tattooed on the body. Sign holders are known as human directionals in the advertising industry, or colloquially as sign walkers, sign wavers, sign spinners, sign twirlers or sandwich men. Frequently, they will spin or dance or wear costumes with the promotional sign in order to attract attention.
Two human billboards in Stockholm, one holding a placard and the other wearing a sandwich board
An artistic depiction of human billboards in 19th century London, by George Scharf
Complementary clothing advertisement and directional billboard
Human billboards advertising human billboards, in Melbourne, Australia
