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The Daily Photoist: November 9, 2009
The spectre of Tourism Toronto's bungled Toronto Unlimited Campaign reared its ugly head again today. The city can't seem to make up its mind on just what its brand identity should be and has added "InfoTOgo" as yet another registered trademark. The slogan can be seen on info pillars located around the city (like this one here outside Queen's Park).
Torontoist, along with just about every other media commentator in this city has whined about how bad the Toronto Unlimited logo is so it almost seems too easy to jump on government tourism mandarins for trying to find a slogan, any other slogan to replace the lacklustre logo launched last year.
The problem is, as a city councillor pointed out, the city now has three "brands": Toronto Unlimited, Live With Culture and infoTOgo. Live With Culture will eventually fade away as big projects like the AGO, the ROM and the Opera House finish up and Toronto's banner year(s) of culture ends. But infoTOgo only adds more evidence to our contention that those in charge of marketing the city don't know what they're doing.
Let's take a look at the info pillar, the vehicle for the city's new brand. We're not going to argue about the merits of more advertising on the street but something designed to give information to tourists and those who are lost downtown should scream out that it's a beacon of information. The pillars clearly don't do that. Two sides of the pillar, the ones facing the busy sidewalk, are ads. The little info logo crowns the pillars but are so small that they can be easily missed when you're staring at a huge ad for warm tropical destinations like in this particular pillar. A tourist walking past the pillars would be forgiven for not realizing that these are actually maps and info stations where they can find out about local attractions and find their way around town. Worse there are 12-feet tall pillars, where the tiny info logo would be a good ten feet off the ground and even less noticeable.
The map section of the pillar is admittedly quite attractive and functional. The maps are clear, labelled with icons that can help non-English speaking tourists, and you can even pay a toonie and take a pocket-sized version with you. The pillars also give site specific info about nearby sights and historical info. But all of this is useless unless passer-bys figure out it's not an ad.
So here's a few possible solutions:
1) Stronger City of Toronto branding
we can't stand the Toronto Unlimited logo but seeing it on ALL sides of the pillars is the least we can expect. A simple strip on the top of each ad would be sufficient and go a long way in making the pillar's role as an info source clearer and would strengthen Tourism Toronto's branding. They spent the money on the campaign might as well get their money's worth.
2) Redesign the pillars
If Tourism Toronto hadn't spent $4 million on a lacklustre ad campaign maybe it could've found a way to design an info pillar without ads. Nonetheless, the info logo on top of these pillars must be bigger, brighter and visible. Another way would be put maps on all three sides with smaller advertising. This way, there would be no mistaking what these things are supposed to be, a service for those who have taken the time and money to visit our city and not a cash grab for outdoor advertising companies.
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Only one thing wrong with your comments...you've got to remember that these ad pillars were designed by astral media, not the city. the city only approved the designs and councillors chose to allow them as a pilot project in their wards. this does not absolve the city of responsibility for design, but you can see they were designed to sell ads, not city info.
Only one thing wrong with your comments...you've got to remember that these ad pillars were designed by astral media, not the city. the city only approved the designs and councillors chose to allow them as a pilot project in their wards. this does not absolve the city of responsibility for design, but you can see they were designed to sell ads, not city info.
Very true.... these were designed by Astral, but as you pointed out the city has final say over what they look like. Astral stands to make quite a bit of money on these pillars and the city gets what in return exactly? A bunch of crappy, second rate, ineffective ad pillars. It's a similar issue to the garbage bins; the city is getting duped into accepting second rate street fixtures because it doesn't have the guts to stand up to an ad company.
I think council was snowed on this one....the pillars for those who haven't experienced one in person, have three faces: one has a large map and a paper map dispenser and the other two sides have large ads.
In all the installations I have seen the map and tourist info faces away from pedestrian traffic and the ads dominate and face out to traffic.
Especially bad is the one at Dundas and University on the north island between traffic lanes. I have stood there as tourists scratch their heads trying to figure out where the AGO is not knowing that the giant ad pillar behind them with its map hidden from view. D'oh.
The final insult is of course that there are being installed in park spaces (remember - no ads in public parks - hmmmm). Have a peek at Queen's Park (NW corner of Queen's Park Cres. East and Wellesley) to see what I mean.
Bend over Toronto.
Every city in the world has these things. And they all work the same way. The pillars in Paris are gargantuan in comparison. They are architecturally stunning, mind, but they are way bigger than the dreaded Eucan bins. But maybe people love em just because they are real old.
"Politicians, public buildings, and whores all get respectable if they last long enough"
They don't really need to face pedestrian traffic. The ads are for drivers, pedestrians have that great biological innovation, feet, to manoeuver round to the side.
Are these really worse than the ass ugly U of T maps? The city has a lot of ads. Tell me something new.
Does anyone else find it amusing that these pillars are advertising for Cuba?
Conflict of interests, maybe?
David M - hear hear. The city continually takes it from the media buyers and developers. Originally, when I heard of these kiosks I was into them. Now that I see them in parctise - WTFFF? - Noone knows what they are, they are facing the wrong way. The city, while it claims to have final say in such matters, DID NOT take into consideration the name of the kiosk as mentioned by Ron.
They are not functional and this is one of there biggest problems. I want to access information straight on and not by walking around to the back of something...sure its a minor thing but it is called *&^ing design...Some shit up at Astral is laughing on his big fat Commish on this one as will the asshole who proposed the "GREAT" eucan bins. Does anyone really buy that crap..it holds more...it is better...really? For who? The city? NO, they hold less, are harder to navigate, look cheap and take up WAY TOO MUCH sidewalk space.
Who amongst us thinks the city will nix them...please raise you hand.
anyone?
Get some fucking balls toronto. I use to really be proud of you.
The problem comes from the fact that Toronto doesn't have the cash to back up the balls.
If you are a media company, you know that the city doesn't have a bargaining position and can basically tell them to like it or lump it.
Astral Proposal:
Need info posts? They have to have ads. Not only that but the ads must face motor traffic (that's how media space is valued). Not only that, but they will be huge. If you don't take our offer, go to someone else, but we know they will have a similar offer. We also know you can't pay for this shit on your own. So what will it be Toronto? Info posts with ad centric design, or nothing?
It all comes down to our shit financial arrangement with the Province of Ontario.
I don't think "InfoTOgo" was really intended as a slogan for the city. it's just an identifier for the info posts. (Thus the word "info.") Which are, as everyone agrees, an abomination.
True Carl but if a sity is to brand itself then it should do it right. info TO go is ok if there is a Toronto signifier present. Inthis case there is not. Well there is the TO thing but that is not our brand. If one spends 4 million on a silly campaign like Unlimited then that logo should be present on all things public in Toronto.
If one were to loop a chain around such an "info post" and pull it down, what would the charges be, if caught?
(Just curious.)
Well they are private property.... so you'll get charged with vandalism. It'd be like smashing a store window.