American beauty Mena Suvari stares out of the Lancome ad, seen on billboards all over the UK during September 2003. To the right is a road sign indicating local destinations. The site is Piccadilly, Manchester at the corner of Newton Street.

Ads add a temporary element of glamour to otherwise permanently unglamorous locations. Ancoats, Victoria Station, Oldham and the A62 in the upper part of the sign are associated with and image of the grim North, while Piccadilly Station and the A6 lead to the affluent south.

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Keywords: Street advertising, Mena Suvari, road signs,