Still, images like the Marlboro Man and R.J. Reynolds' Joe Camel probably will remain ingrained in the public's consciousness.

"People who saw them as part of American visual folklore will continue to refer to them," said James Fraser, library director at Fairleigh Dickinson University in Madison, N.J., and author of "The American Billboard: 100 Years."

Sheila Hayes, spokeswoman for the Outdoor Advertising Association of America in Washington, agreed: "They're definitely part of the American landscape. People will continue to have an appreciation for them as a part of Americana, a part of history."