US20060123534A1

US20060123534A1 - Advertising method using a portable toilet unit

Info

Publication number: US20060123534A1
Application number: US11/275,314
Authority: US
Inventors: James Paar
Original assignee: Paar James C
Current assignee: MICRO TARGET MEDIA US Inc
Priority date: 2005-01-25
Filing date: 2005-12-22
Publication date: 2006-06-15
Also published as: US20060123535A1; US20060137086A1

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to method for converting a portable toilet unit into an advertising medium. The method includes providing an advertising media, and adhesively affixing the advertising media to an outer surface of a side of the portable toilet unit. The advertising media is sized to cover a majority of the side of the portable toilet unit. The method also includes displaying the advertising media on the portable toilet unit for a predetermined first period of time, and removing the advertising media from the first side of the portable toilet unit after the predetermined first period of time has expired.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/646,944, filed Jan. 25, 2005, which application is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The principles disclosed herein relate generally to a method of advertising. More particularly, the disclosure relates to a method of advertising using outdoor signage.

BACKGROUND

Advertising is a multi-billion dollar business. In the world of marketing, to supplement advertising channels such as the television, the radio, the internet, the newspaper, and billboards, companies are continuously searching for new and creative ways to advertise their products and services to reach as many consumers as possible.
Portable toilet units can be found at almost every high traffic event or area, serving the needs of a large number of people. Portable toilet units come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. Portable toilet units are normally rented out or distributed by portable toilet unit companies under a contract for a, specified period of time or for a given event. Generally, the portable toilet units found in the market are of a single, uniform color, such as brown or gray to camouflage dirt or soiling, giving them an unpleasing appearance. Once rented, the units are usually placed in a group, making them even more of an eyesore.
What is needed in the field of marketing is a method of advertising that utilizes portable toilet units as an advertising medium given their extensive use and visibility in high traffic events and areas. What is needed is an advertising method that preserves the temporary nature of the portable toilet unit rental business. What is needed is an advertising method that can be implemented universally on a wide variety of differently shaped and sized portable toilet units. What is also needed is an advertising method that improves the overall appearance of portable toilet units to make them more attractive facilities for the public.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure relates to a method of advertising that effectively uses the outside surfaces of a portable toilet unit as the advertising medium.
According to one aspect of the disclosure, the advertising method can be used on a portable toilet unit regardless of the brand, shape, or size of the portable toilet unit.
Examples representative of a variety of inventive aspects are set forth in the description that follows. The inventive aspects relate to individual features as well as combinations of features. It is to be understood that both the forgoing general description and the following detailed description merely provide examples of how the inventive aspects may be put into practice, and are not intended to limit the broad spirit and scope of the inventive aspects.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional portable toilet unit;
FIG. 1A is an enlargement of a portion of FIG. 1 schematically showing surface texturing of the portable toilet unit;
FIG. 2 shows the portable toilet unit of FIG. 1 after having been converted into an advertising medium in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure;
FIG. 3 is a front view of the portable toilet unit of FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a rear view of the portable toilet unit of FIG. 2;
FIG. 4A is a cross-sectional view taken along section line 4A-4A of FIG. 4 showing the panel covering reinforcing ribs and channels at the outer surface of the rear wall of the portable toilet unit;
FIG. 5 is a left side view of the portable toilet unit of FIG. 2;
FIG. 6 is a right side view of the portable toilet unit of FIG. 2;
FIG. 7 shows printed advertising panels prior to be being affixed to the portable toilet unit of FIG. 1;
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along section line 8-8 of FIG. 7;
FIG. 9 shows an elongated, continuous panel adapted to be wrapped completely around a portable toilet unit;
FIG. 10 is a perspective view of another conventional portable toilet unit;
FIG. 11 shows the portable toilet unit of FIG. 10 after having been converted into an advertising medium;
FIG. 12 shows a bank of portable toilet units having front sides converted into an advertising mural; and
FIG. 13 shows separate advertising panels used to form the mural of FIG. 12.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention is a system for non-permanently converting the outside surfaces of any portable toilet unit into an advertising medium, regardless of the shape of the portable toilet unit. According to the present invention, a self-adhesive decal or media printed with advertising indicia is applied to the outside surfaces of the portable toilet unit. The media may be removed at the time the portable toilet unit is returned to the rental agency or when the advertising contract expires. The removal process does not result in any remaining adhesive residue or any other physical damage to the unit.
The media is preferably a flexible material, such as vinyl, thin plastic film, fabric, or paper and includes a self-adhesive backing on a first side. A wide variety of media textures are possible, including glossy, semi-gloss, matte, or transparent. A large format plotter or other printing mechanism may be used to print the desired adverting indicia on a second side of the media. In one embodiment, the media is then cut to the shape of the portable toilet unit to be covered. In another embodiment, the uncut media may be affixed to the portable toilet, as described below, and then trimmed to the shape of the portable toilet unit.
Once the advertising indicia is printed on the media and the media has been cut to the desired shape, the media is applied to the portable toilet unit by affixing the first side containing the self-adhesive backing on the surface to be covered. The media may then be smoothed out with an applicator tool. In this way, the portable toilet unit is essentially wrapped with the advertising media. The media can be applied as a single, continuous sheet or can be applied in any number of panels. For example, when covering a rectangular unit, four sheets of media can be printed with advertising material, and one panel can be applied to each side of the unit.
After the media is applied to the surfaces of the portable toilet unit, the media is cut with a sharp blade as needed to allow for the door to open and close freely. Slits may also be cut for ventilation purposes. In one embodiment, when applying the media to handicapped facilities, containing signage indicating such, the portion of the media covering the sign designating the unit handicapped accessible may be cut away. In another embodiment, the media itself may be printed to include a handicap accessible designation.
The media may be removed at anytime, such as when the portable toilet is returned to the rental agency or when the advertising contract expires. This is accomplished by peeling off the media, such as with a scraping tool. The surfaces may then be wiped down with a cleaning solvent, such as window cleaner, as needed. The removal process does not result in any remaining adhesive residue or any other physical damage to the unit, and new media may be applied immediately afterwards.
In sum, the present invention introduces a system for non-permanently converting the outside surfaces of a portable toilet unit into an advertising medium without damaging the portable toilet unit. Because portable toilet units are usually rented and placed in a location for a temporary period of time, it is beneficial that the advertising media applied to its surface be non-permanent. This makes it possible to specifically tailor the advertising indicia to a particular event, such as a beer advertisement for a sporting event. The non-permanent aspect of the system also gives portable toilet unit distribution companies the option of selling an advertising contract for a specified period of time. After the advertising contract has expired, the advertising indicia can be removed and a contract can be entered into with a different company. It is therefore possible to repeatedly change the advertising display without damaging the portable toilet unit.
The present invention also provides a system that allows the outside surfaces of a portable toilet to be converted into an advertising medium, regardless of the brand or shape of the portable toilet unit. A number of companies manufacture portable toilet units in a wide variety of shapes, such as rectangular, cylindrical, and octagonal to name a few. The flexibility of the advertising media used with the present invention makes it possible to apply the system universally to differently shaped portable toilet units with very few alterations.
In addition, the present invention allows the overall appearance of portable toilet units to be more attractive. Generally, the outside surfaces or housing of portable toilet units currently on the market are a single, uniform color, which is often a brown or gray to camouflage dirt and soiling. Once rented, the units are usually placed in a group, which results in a necessary eyesore. The present invention allows the outside surfaces of the units to be covered in advertising material, which is designed to be bright and eye catching. This results in the portable toilet units making a much more attractive display at public events.
FIG. 1 shows a conventional portable toilet unit 20 suitable for being used as an advertising medium in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure. The portable toilet unit includes a generally rectangular, portable restroom 21 (e.g., a shelter or privacy enclosure) including four generally rectangular sides (a front side 22, a rear side 23 (see FIG. 4), right side 24 (see FIG. 6), and left side 25). The sides 22-25 of the restroom extend vertically between a bottom platform 26 and a top roof 28 (i.e., cover). The roof 28 is generally flat. The front, rear, left and right sides of the restroom 21 include upright outer surfaces that may be collectively referred to as the outer surfaces of the portable toilet unit. The restroom 21 encloses a toilet 19 (shown schematically at FIG. 5) and may also enclose other structures such as a hand washing station or sink.
Referring still to FIG. 1, the front side 22 of the restroom 21 includes a door 30 for accessing the interior of the restroom 21. The outer surface of the front side 22 of the restroom 21 includes a first portion 27 a provided on the door 30, and a second portion 27 b that at least partially surrounds the door 30. A hinge 32 allows the door 30 to swing between open and closed positions. A handle 33 controls a latch for holding the door 30 in the closed position. The door includes a top edge 34, a bottom edge 36, a side edge 38 positioned adjacent the handle 33, and a side edge 40 positioned adjacent the hinge 32. No smoking signage 44 is also provided at the front side 22 of the restroom 21. A venting structure 42 is provided at the left side 25 of the restroom 21 adjacent the roof 28 of the restroom 21.
In certain embodiments, the sides 22-25 of the restroom 21 can be formed by molded, plastic walls. As shown at FIG. 1A, the outer surfaces of the walls are textured with an arrangement of bumps or other visible surface elevation variations adapted to hide dirt. The texturing can be formed into the outer surfaces of the walls at the time the walls are molded. FIG. 1A is a magnified view that schematically shows a portion of the texturing. To further hide dirt, the outer surfaces of the walls can be earth-toned (e.g., green, brown, gray, etc.) in color. While the outer sides of the restroom 21 have been depicted in FIG. 1 as being generally planar, in other embodiments, the sides can include ribs, channels or other surface discontinuities adapted to stiffen or otherwise reinforce the walls of the restroom.
Portable toilet units such as the one illustrated in FIG. 1 and described herein are generally known in the art. Such conventional portable toilet units come in a variety of shapes and sizes (e.g., cylindrical, octagonal, etc.). Conventional portable toilet units can be non-trailer mounted (as depicted) or trailer mounted. Trailer mounted portable toilet units typically include one, two, three or more restrooms carried by a trailer. It should be understood that the portable toilet units illustrated and described herein are simply a few of the example conventional units that can be used with methods of advertising according to the present disclosure and the inventive aspects disclosed herein are not limited to the illustrated examples of portable toilet units. Instead, aspects according to the present disclosure are applicable to any type of portable toilet unit regardless of shape or style.
FIGS. 2-6 show the portable toilet unit 20 of FIG. 1 after having been converted into an advertising medium in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure. As depicted, advertising media 50 (depicted with stipple shading) has been non-permanently attached to the outer surfaces of the front side 22, the rear side 23, the right side 24 and the left side 25 of the restroom. As depicted, the advertising media 50 covers substantially all the outer surfaces of the sides 22-25. In other embodiments, the advertising media may be sized and shaped to cover at least a majority (i.e., at least 50 percent) of each of the outer surfaces of the sides 22-25, or may be sized to cover at least 75 percent of each of the outer surfaces of the sides 22-25.
In the depicted embodiment, all four of the sides 22-25 are covered with advertising media. In other embodiments, it may be desirable to cover only, one, two or three of the sides. Once again, for each individual side, the advertising media may be sized to cover a majority of the side. In other embodiments, the advertising media may be sized to cover at least 75 percent of the side, or may be sized to cover substantially all of the side. Because the front side of a portable toilet unit is typically most visible, the front side is the most likely side to be covered with advertising media. This is particularly true when portable toilet units are arranged side-by-side in a bank (see FIG. 12), since the left and right sides of at least some of the portable toilet units are not visible when the portable toilet units are arranged in such a configuration.
In one embodiment, the advertising is applied to the outer side surfaces of the portable toilet unit 20 by using four separate rectangular panels 51-54 (see FIG. 7) of advertising media. In such an embodiment, panel 51 corresponds to the front side 22, panel 52 corresponds to the rear side 23, panel 53 corresponds to the right side 24, and panel 54 corresponds to the left side 25. To promote manufacturing efficiency, a standard sized panel can be used for each of the sides. In one embodiment, the standard size is 4 foot by 7 foot. Advertising can be printed on the panels with lengths and widths sized to generally match the lengths (e.g., heights) and widths of the portable toilet sides desired to be covered with advertising. For example, panels 51, 52 can be printed with lengths L1 and widths W1 sized to match the lengths and widths of the front and rear sides 22, 23 of the portable toilet unit 20, and the panels 53, 54 can be printed with lengths L2 and widths W2 to match the lengths and widths of the right and left sides 24, 25 of the portable toilet unit 20. In other embodiments, the widths of the printing can be slightly larger that the widths of the corresponding sides of the portable toilet unit. This allows the panels to be wrapped slightly around the corners of the toilet unit so that no gaps are provided between the panels. For the purposes of the is disclosure, a panel having a width sized to wrap around the corners as described above is considered to generally coincide with the width of the side to which the panel is adhered.
It will be appreciated that excess material 55 from the panels 51-54 can be trimmed either before or after the panels have been applied to the portable toilet unit. In other embodiments, the panels can also be preformed or shaped to fit a certain style or shape of a housing rather than being provided as standard rectangular sheets and trimmed later to shape.
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing an example layer construction for the panels 51-54. As shown at FIG. 8, panel 51 includes a carrier layer 60 having an outwardly facing side 61 and an inwardly facing side 62 (i.e., the side adapted to face toward the portable toilet unit when the panel is applied to a portable toilet unit). Advertising indicia 67 (e.g., graphic, pictorial, text, etc.) is provided (e.g., printed) at the outwardly facing side 61 of the carrier layer 60. Adhesive backing 63 is located at the inwardly facing side 62 of the carrier layer 60. In certain embodiments, the adhesive backing can cover the entire inwardly facing side 62 of the carrier layer 60. Alternatively, the adhesive may be provided at specific/ discrete locations on the carrier layer. A removable protective liner 65 is used to cover the adhesive backing 63. During installation of the panel on the portable toilet, the liner 65 is removed to expose the adhesive backing 63 and to allow the adhesive backing to be affixed to the outer surface of the portable toilet.
The carrier layer 60 is preferably a flexible film. For example, the carrier layer can be a vinyl film (e.g., polyvinyl chloride), a plastic film (e.g., polycarbonate, polyester), or other types of films. The carrier layer can also include other types of materials such as paper or fabrics. In one embodiment, the carrier layer has a thickness in the range of 0.002-0.005 inches. In another embodiment, the carrier layer has a thickness of 0.003-0.004 inches.
The adhesive backing 63 is preferably a removable, pressure sensitive adhesive. As used herein, the term “removable adhesive” means an adhesive that allows the carrier layer to be peeled from a substrate such as the outer surface of a portable toilet unit while leaving little to no adhesive residue behind on the substrate. Because most or all of the adhesive is removed with the carrier layer, subsequent cleaning of the outer surface (e.g., with solvents) of the portable toilet unit is typically not needed. In a preferred embodiment, the adhesive allows the carrier to be peeled from the outer surface of the portable toilet without requiring scraping, without tearing the carrier layer and without damaging the portable toilet.
The advertising media can be applied to the sides 22-25 of the portable toilet 20 by separately adhering panel 51 to front side 22, adhering panel 52 to rear side 23, adhering panel 53 to right side 24 and adhering panel 54 to left side 25. Each panel can be applied by first aligning the panel with its corresponding side, and then peeling back a portion of the removable liner to expose the adhesive backing. The exposed adhesive backing is then pressed against the outer surface of the portable toilet unit to affix the panel to the surface. Once the exposed portion of adhesive backing is adhered, more of the liner is peeled back to expose more adhesive, which is then pressed against the portable toilet unit. This process is continued until the entire panel is adhered to the side of the portable toilet unit. In one embodiment, the panel is initially aligned with the top of the side of the portable toilet unit. An upper portion of the removable liner is then peeled downwardly to expose an upper region of the adhesive backing. The exposed upper region of adhesive backing is then pressed against the portion of the portable toilet unit with which the upper region is aligned. Thereafter, the liner is peeled further downwardly to expose additional adhesive backing, which then is pressed against the portion of the portable toilet unit sidewall with which the panel is aligned. This process is continued from top to bottom until the entire liner has been removed and the panel is adhered to the side of the portable toilet unit from top to bottom. During the installation process, an applicator tool such as a roller can be used to smooth wrinkles, to improve adhesion with the textured outer surface of the portable toilet unit, and to remove air pockets from beneath the panel. The panels may also be trimmed to size either before or after the panels have been adhered to the portable toilet unit. Additionally, to improve adhesion, the outer surface of the portable toilet unit can be cleaned (e.g., with cleaning solution/solvent such as a diluted alcohol cleaner) to remove dirt prior to applying the panels.
For portable toilet units having walls with reinforcing structures such projections and depressions (e.g., channels and ribs), the panels can by adhered to the side walls so as to contact the projections and to bridge or traverse the depressions. In this way, the panels provide a generally planar display surface. FIG. 4A shows a portion of a panel 52 that is bonded to reinforcing ribs 94 and that traverses channels 95 of a wall of a portable toilet unit.
After the panels 51-54 have been affixed to the portable toilet unit 20, portions of the panels can be cut and peeled away from the portable toilet unit to expose underlying structures of the portable toilet unit. For example, portion 70 of the panel 51 can be removed to expose the door handle 33. Also, portion 72 of the panel 51 can be removed to expose the underlying permanent signage 44. For example, the panels can be cut to expose signs such as no smoking signs or handicapped accessible signs. These kinds of signs can also be preprinted as a part of the printed indicia on the front sides of the panels rather than cutting the panels around such signs. Further, portion 74 of the panel 54 can be removed to expose the venting structures 42. The panel 51 can also be cut/slit to prevent the panel 51 from interfering with the opening and closing of the door 30. For example, slits can be made along top edge 34, bottom edge 36 and side edges 38, 40.
In other embodiments, the panels can be made large enough to extend to more than one sidewall of the portable toilet unit. FIG. 9 shows a sheet 89 having four adjoined media panels 90-93. The entire sheet may be printed at once, and the sheet may be wrapped around the portable toilet unit in a single application. When wrapping the entire portable toilet unit, the two ends of the sheet may overlap each other to ensure complete coverage. Thus, the panels can be applied as a larger continuous sheet that covers more than one side of a portable toilet unit.
FIG. 10 shows another conventional portable toilet unit 120 suitable for being used as an advertising medium in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure. The portable toilet unit is labeled as being handicap accessible and includes a generally rectangular restroom 121 including four generally rectangular sides (a front side 122, rear side, right side, and left side 125). The sides of the restroom extend vertically between a bottom base 126 and a top roof 128 (i.e., cover). Edges/transitions 127 between the sides are rounded. The roof 128 is generally arched. FIG. 11 shows the portable toilet unit 120 of FIG. 10 after having been converted into an advertising medium in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure. The advertising media at the front side 122 has an upper edge 129 that is generally arched to conform to the shape of the roof line. Also, the advertising media wraps around the rounded edges 127 between the sides to provide more full coverage of the unit.
FIG. 12 illustrates a plurality of adjacently positioned portable toilet units 220-222 (i.e., a bank of portable toilet units) converted into a mural-type advertising medium. As shown at FIG. 12, the front sides of the portable toilet units 220-222 have been non-permanently covered with advertising media panels 300-302. The panels 300-302 each define separate portions of an image that extends across the front of the plurality of adjacent portable toilet units 220-222. Thus, the panels 300-302 display a generally continuous, single image when aligned. The image may be a pictorial image, a photographic image, a textual image or may include other type of indicia. FIG. 13 shows the panels 300-302 prior to being installed on the portable toilet units 220-222. To enhance the mural appearance, the vertical side edges of the panels 300-302 can overlap and be adhesively bonded to each other so that no gaps are provided between the panels 300-302. In other embodiments, the panels 300-302 may wrap around curved/rounded front corners of the portable toilet units to minimize uncovered gaps between adjacent portable toilet units. In still other embodiments, the various panels can be printed on a single sheet that is mounted across the front side of the bank of portable toilet units.
In FIG. 12, the panels cooperate to define portions of a single, continuous image. In other embodiments, individual panels can simply be used on adjacently positioned units to provide a mural type display even if they are not printed to form a continuous, single image. For example, panels can be applied to adjacently positioned units to display a repetitive image.
The non-permanent aspect of the adhesive of the panels makes it possible to specifically tailor the advertising indicia to a particular event or a location and remove the advertising when the rental period is over without leaving any permanent residue or damage to the units. Preserving the outer surfaces of the restrooms gives the portable toilet unit distribution companies the option of selling temporary advertising contracts or advertising space on the portable toilet units. The advertising media should be such that the advertising displayed on the outer surfaces of the portable toilet units can be repeatedly changed without damaging the portable toilet units.
Advertising methods in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure allow the previously unused advertising space to be used to support outdoor signage. In practice, signage rights for the advertising space provided at the sides of portable toilet units can be sold for a predetermined time period. An example time period includes the duration of an event at which the portable toilet units will be in used. Another example time period includes the duration of a series of events at which the portable toilet units will be used. A further example time period includes a set contract period (e.g., 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, 2 years, 3 years, etc.). Once the advertising space has been sold, advertising media is non-permanently affixed to the outer sides of the portable toilet units, and the advertising media is displayed for the predetermined time period. After the predetermined time period, the advertising media is removed from the portable toilet units. Thereafter, the advertising space on the portable toilet units can be sold for another predetermined time period, and the process is repeated.
In the case where advertising space is sold for a single event, the portable toilet unit rental company can deliver the portable toilet units to the event location. At the event location, the advertising media can be non-permanently applied to the portable toilet units in a manner as described above. The advertising media is then displayed on the portable toilet units for the duration of the event. After the event has ended, the advertising media is removed from the portable toilet units, and the portable toilet units can be moved to a different location (e.g., back to the portable toilet unit rental company or to a new event location). Alternatively, the advertising media can be removed and replaced with new advertising media to be displayed at a subsequent event occurring at the same location.
Certain business methods can allow an advertising media provider to fully develop the advertising potential afforded by portable toilet units. For example, the advertising media provider can acquire from portable toilet unit rental companies the right to display advertising on the outside walls of their toilet units. For example, this right can be leased or otherwise contractually acquired for a predetermined term (e.g., 3 years). Preferably the acquired right is an exclusive right. As part of the contract with the toilet unit rental companies, the rental companies agree to provide the advertising media provider with a list of all the events to which the rental company will be providing toilet units over the contract period.
Once the right to advertise on the outside surfaces of the portable toilet units has been acquired by the advertising media provider, the event holders for the events to be serviced by the portable toilet units are approached by the advertising media provider with different revenue options. For example, the event holders can purchase the right to advertise on the portable toilet units for their event from the advertising media provider, and then sell the advertising space to companies that want to advertise at their event. The rights can be sold on a per panel basis. With this option, the event holders will also typically pay the advertising media provider to provide advertising media having indicia of the advertisers choice, and to install the advertising media on the portable toilet units at the event.
Alternatively, rather than selling advertising space to the event holder and having the event holders re-sell the space to advertisers, the advertising media provider can itself sell the advertising space on a per panel basis to companies that want to advertise at the events. With such an option, a portion of the fees collected by the advertising media provider for the advertising space can be paid to the event holder. The advertising space can be sold to companies either directly or through intermediate advertising brokers that acquire advertising space on behalf of the companies.
With the above-described contractual relationships in place, non-permanent advertising media can be affixed to the portable toilet units by the media provider at each event to which the toilet units are provided. For example, when the toilet units are delivered by the toilet unit rental company to a first event, the advertising media provider can non-permanently apply advertising media to the toilet units. The advertising media is then displayed for the duration of the event, or for at least a portion of the event. Typically, the advertising media provider will prepare (e.g., print or have printed) the advertising media with advertising indicia selected by the advertiser that has paid to use the advertising space. After the event, the advertising media provider removes the advertising media and the portable toilet units are moved by the toilet unit rental company to the next scheduled event. At the next event, the advertising media provider can repeat the process on behalf of another advertiser. This process can be continually repeated for each event for which the portable toilet units have been rented.
The above specification provides examples of how certain inventive aspects may be put into practice. It will be appreciated that the inventive aspects can be practiced in other ways than those specifically shown and described herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the inventive aspects.

Claims

1. A method for converting a portable toilet unit into an advertising medium, the portable toilet unit having a first side, the method comprising:

adhesively affixing an advertising media to an outer surface of the first side of the portable toilet unit, the advertising media being sized to cover a majority of the first side of the portable toilet unit;

displaying the advertising media on the portable toilet unit for a predetermined first period of time; and

removing the advertising media from the first side of the portable toilet unit after the predetermined first period of time has expired.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first period of time coincides with a rental period for the portable toilet unit.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first period of time coincides with the length of an event at which the portable toilet unit is in service.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the event is a sporting event.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the advertising media is removed from the first side of the without leaving adhesive residue.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the portable toilet unit has molded plastic walls, and wherein the outer surface of the first side of the portable toilet unit includes texturing to which the advertising media is adhered.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the advertising media covers at least 75 percent of the first side of the portable toilet unit.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the advertising media covers substantially all of the first side of the portable toilet unit.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising repeating the method of claim 1 with another advertising media that is adhesively affixed to the first side of the portable toilet unit and displayed for a second period of time.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the advertising media includes a flexible film having an outwardly facing side at which advertising indicia is printed, and an inwardly facing side at which removable adhesive is located.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the advertising media is removed from the outer surface of the first side of the portable toilet unit by peeling the advertising media from the outer surface, wherein all or substantially all of the adhesive is removed from the outer surface during the peeling process such that little to no adhesive residue remains on the outer surface after the peeling process, the removal of the advertising panel being accomplished without requiring scraping and without damaging the portable toilet unit.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the advertising media does not tear as the advertising media is peeled from the portable toilet unit.

13. A method for converting a portable toilet unit into an advertising medium, the portable toilet unit having a front side including a door, the front side including an outer surface including a first portion defined by the door and a second portion that at least partially surrounds the door, the method comprising:

adhesively affixing an advertising media to the outer surface of the front side of the portable toilet unit, the advertising media covering a majority of the first portion of the outer surface and a majority of second portion of the outer surface;

after the advertising media has been affixed to the portable toilet unit, cutting the advertising media to allow for the door to open and close;

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the advertising media includes a flexible film having an outwardly facing side at which advertising indicia is printed, and an inwardly facing side at which removable adhesive is located.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the advertising media covers at least 75 percent of the front side of the portable toilet unit.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the door includes a top edge, a handle side edge and a hinge side edge, and wherein the advertising media is cut at least along the top edge and the handle side edge to allow the door to open and close.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the advertising media is also cut along the hinge edge of the door.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein after the advertising media is affixed to the portable toilet unit, portions of the advertising media are cut away and removed to uncover permanent signage provided on the portable toilet unit.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein after the advertising media is affixed to the portable toilet unit, portions of the advertising media are cut away and removed to uncover a handle of the door.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the portable toilet unit is generally rectangular in shape.

21. An advertising method comprising:

acquiring advertising rights for the outer surfaces of portable toilet units owned by a portable toilet unit rental company;

identifying an event at which the portable toilet units will be in service;

approaching an event holder that is responsible for holding the event regarding using the outer surface of the portable toilet units as a backdrop for supporting advertising media during the event;

reaching a revenue agreement with the event holder regarding using the outer surface of the portable toilet units as a backdrop for supporting advertising media during the event; and

applying non-permanent advertising media to the outer surfaces of the portable toilet units during the event.

22. The advertising method of claim 21, wherein the revenue agreement involves granting to the event holder the right to sell advertising space on the outer surfaces of the portable toilet unit for the event.

23. The advertising method of claim 21, wherein advertising space on the outer surfaces of the portable toilet units is sold to an entity that wants to advertise at the event, and the revenue agreement involves paying a portion of the fees generated from the sale of the advertising space to the event holder.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the advertising media includes a flexible media sheet having a first side at which advertising is located and a second side at which adhesive is located.