Battle of the Billboards: Massage Parlors vs. Abolition

In central Georgia, the fight against human trafficking has moved from a ground battle to one in the sky -- on billboards to be precise. One local organization is fighting back against the ads for massage parlors and spa services which dot the skyline of Interstate 75, connecting Atlanta and Macon, GA. Many local advocates are concerned that these spa services are nothing more than thin fronts for prostitution and human trafficking in Georgia. But who will win this growing battle of the billboards?

The organization behind this innovative program is called Middle Georgia Alert. Sick of the massive billboards in their community advertising services they knew were illegal and suspected were harming and exploiting women, they decided to buy out billboard ad space to compete with the ads selling girls and women under the thin veneer of "massage services." The abolitionist billboards have a simple message, "Stop Modern-Day Slavery in Macon," and they feature an hotline number for people to call if they want to report human trafficking.

In addition to creating their own ads, the group is lobbying for billboard companies to refuse to run ads for obviously illegal services, and companies which have a track record of human trafficking or prostitution. So far, two billboard companies have agreed not to renew contracts with "massage" companies that have been busted by law enforcement in the past.

Human trafficking may be a criminal enterprise, but it's a business as well, and that means traffickers have to advertise. This is especially true of sex trafficking, where traffickers are more often selling their "product" (an enslaved woman or child) directly to consumers. So human traffickers advertise wherever they think they'll be able to reach potential buyers. They take out ads in the back of newspapers, advertise online through Craigslist and Backpage, and, yes, even take out billboards. Human trafficking may be a hidden social problem, but the signs of it can sometimes be as obvious as a billboard for a massage parlor standing tall over the highway.

It would be interesting to see this logic extended further. I wonder if there is an organization out there who would be willing to take out ads in the adult services section of Craiglist which provide information about forced and child prostitution on Craiglist, and a hotline number for people to call if they suspect illegal activity. Or perhaps someone could buy ad space next to massage and spa ads in the back of newspapers, educating the public about the prevalence of human trafficking in those industries as well. When so many advertisements are competing for consumer attention these days, those of us with a public interest message to sell can't afford to be any less aggressive than the criminals we're competing with.

Photo credit: Daveness_98