This research has two main goals. The first is to highlight the new ways to use the language of advertising and its application in the urban context. The second goal is to investigate the effects of the opening of new concept stores or malls on physical development of cities. The author analyzes two different case studies (in terms of social, economical and political conditions): Milan and Bratislava. I show that the two cities adopt very different model of advertising. Bratislava is characterized by a chaotic urban development resulting from an uncontrolled advertising system while Milan has developed a model which allows both to keep order in the city and to create an appreciable aesthetic style. Finally, although in different ways, both cities are experiencing a showcasing process.
Keywords: Showcasing process; Milan; Bratislava; advertisement; urban marketing; shopping mall; consumption