A canopy is a metal and glass protection installed at the entrance to certain buildings. The term can also refer to an awning that provides shelter from the rain or to a structure that provides shelter at a public transport stop.
Generally speaking, a canopy is a cover that is installed over a door or window. This type of element, which has a semicircular or rectangular shape, is usually supported by a support and is used to provide protection from the elements at the entrance to a theatre, café, hotel, etc.
Currently, in some regions, the concept is specifically associated with the theater marquee , whose function goes beyond covering the audience. The marquee announces the work that can be seen in the venue, so it functions as a poster .
The theater marquee , therefore, is a piece that displays information . Often, in addition to the title of the play, the names of the actors and even photographs appear. On the other hand, there are theaters that establish agreements with sponsors and thus the marquee displays advertising for the company in question.
Let's take the case of a revue show. The marquee first displays the name of the show and then, in smaller print, the names of the show's stars. The marquee also shows photos of the dancers and comedians who work in the show. Thus, those who pass by the theatre have access to the essential details of the show and can decide to buy a ticket if they wish.
The term "shelter" is also used to refer to advertising posters in general, or rather to street furniture used for this purpose. In this case, other terms also appear, such as "mupis", "columns" and "kiosks" . Shelters and "mupis" are supports with standardised measurements in each region and subject to change depending on fashions and trends. They are manufactured to house advertising posters whose dimensions exceed one metre, both in height and width.
It is common to find bus shelters and mupis on the busiest streets of large cities, particularly in squares and bus stops , two places where people usually stop to rest or wait for several minutes. These supports have two sides with back lighting, necessary to allow them to be read at night. Each side can be contracted independently, meaning that even two different companies can advertise their products and services on the same bus shelter simultaneously.
In some cases, it is possible to hire only one side, to avoid a monopoly by a single company. The duration of the contract varies according to the city and the time of year, but it can be one year or more, although it is usually done on a weekly basis. It should be noted that companies usually pay for more than one bus shelter, which are grouped into packages distributed around the city called circuits .
As we all know, advertising is a strategy that involves investing a lot of money to increase the visibility of a product or service, although it can also be used to promote films, concerts or simply to improve the perception of a company in the city. In some parts of the world, it is possible to design a custom circuit if a certain number of faces are hired. Another area where these structures exist are shopping centers , where the volume of people per day is usually considerable.