1.
advertising tower; billboard pillar
A tall structure or tower used to display advertisements, typically found in urban areas.
駅前に大きな広告塔がある。
There is a large advertising tower in front of the station.
古い広告塔が撤去された。
The old advertising tower was removed.
繁華街の広告塔はネオンで光っている。
The advertising towers in the entertainment district are lit up with neon.
2.
figurehead; poster child; public face
A person who serves as the public representative of an organization or cause, often implying they are being used mainly for promotional purposes.
彼はその団体の広告塔だ。
He is the figurehead of that organization.
有名人が広告塔として利用された。
A celebrity was used as a poster child.
詐欺グループの広告塔になっていたことが発覚した。
It was revealed that he had been serving as the public face of a fraud group.
USAGE:
The figurative sense (sense 2) is very common in news reporting, especially when discussing celebrities or public figures who lend their name and image to organizations, sometimes unknowingly or for dubious purposes.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 広告塔として使われる (to be used as a figurehead)
- 広告塔になる (to become a poster child)
- 広告塔的存在 (figurehead-like presence)