Disgruntled Star Editor Takes Constructive Revenge
Live Green Toronto's Bright Idea
Vandalist: Ripple Effect
Toronto Will Host 2015 Pan American Games
Historicist: Life in Wartime
By now, you've likely heard about some marketing brainiac's bright idea for an ad campaign, illegally erecting giant logos for a car company in our city's ad-free public parks. There has been some discussion about whether or not to give this story further dissemination lest it draw even more attention to the manufacturer and confirm the adage that any publicity is good publicity, even if it's negative.
But let's mention them: it's Audi. Audi deserves the negative publicity for this fiasco, and we insist that the City charge the company and its advertising agencies for fraudulently obtaining "permission" to rotate at least fifty signs in our parks and along roadsides. As for Audi, they deserve to have their name attached to what they did: Audi illegally commercialized our public parks.
Audi created the giant logos at a cost of $110,000. Audi illegally obtained a commercial filming permit from the City to flash if questioned, even though no filming was taking place and no compulsory notice was given to neighbourhood residents. Audi's plan was to rotate the "sculptures" around 120 public sites, including the Don Valley Parkway, Gardiner, Lakeshore Boulevard, and highways 400 and 401. Audi wants the signs to show up next in other major cities around the country.
Audi also carved a gigantic logo into a Bowmanville field directly under a flightpath which is cleary visible by air (and in later updates of Google Maps, they hope). Audi also has projected video onto a downtown building for this campaign.
Audi knowingly avoided the proper, lengthly permit process, which is to obtain permission through Council and the Parks and Recreation department. Audi pays the City of Toronto nothing for the alleged permission to place ads everywhere.
Worst of all, Audi is not the least bit contrite. Audi has not apologized for obtaining filming permits under obviously fraudulent pretenses, and wants us to believe it was only for the purpose of photographing and filming (their agency's photos are used in this article). Audi intentionally skirted the system and must be formally charged for their vandalism of our city.
And did we mention it was Audi who intruded on our ad-free public parks?
The following entities are accountable: Lowe Roche, Founder: Geoffrey Roche; The Media Company/MBS, VP Group Account Director: Fiona McLaughlin; Audi Canada, Director of Communications: Doug Clark; SBC Media, President: Steve Jarrett; MAVERICK PR, President: Julie Rusciolelli.
add to stumble upon
add to reddit
tweet this
post to facebook
No-one at the City of Toronto is accountable? I think not. There should be checks to ensure against this kind of abuse. The current exposure of illegal street signs should have been enough to warn the city to beef up its scrutiny of advertising - they aren't getting the message.
What are the consequences for those accountable?
Where are the usual posters who turn up their noses at illegal street art? I guess corporations make everything acceptable.
Audi and its advertising firm should be fined heavily. Hell, ban them from advertising withing city limits for a year too.
It is even less acceptable because of what is being advertised. A car, which wastes gas, pollutes, worsens congestion and is inherently dangerous. Let's all boycott Audi and all the other car companies and take public transit. The person behind this ad campaign ought to be made to take the TTC for a year. Teach him/her a lesson.
I dunno. Audi's are only the hottest cars on the road. I say cut'em some slack. They did give us the A4, and that's gotta count for something.
How long was the logo 'sculpture' in each location?
“Audi's are only the hottest cars on the road.”
Maybe I can get away with putting an addition on my house without a permit or inspection because I'm so awesome, then.
I believe the logos placed in the public areas were only in each location for a day, and then rotated to another location over a period of three days. I think the ones on private property are to be there longer.
One day and rotated out? Better than the graffiti and tags (the creators of which we are not provided with names and email addresses as above) that last slightly more that one day.
GH: The two aren't really the same thing, but my biggest problem is that a corporation deliberately fudged information in order to place ads in places everywhere that are specifically designated as ad-free environments. Audi's PR response to this nonsense is that they received a "city permit" to do this, but they intentionally neglect to include that it was the incorrect type of city permit.
Let's use the Microsoft ice house in Dundas Square as an example—proper permits, permission and payment, and placed in a somewhat appropriate environment for such a PR stunt. On a side note, it was also kinda cool to see because it had some significant artistic merit. Not many people (save for perhaps the TPSC) would blink an eye at those type of campaigns. BUT in this case, Audi invaded our city-run spaces by not being entirely truthful.
The other thing to mention is that little fines for this type of behaviour aren't good enough. Corporations would gleefully pay some $500 slap on the wrist and include it as a miniscule addition to their campaign budget. The consequences to this type of anti-social and inconsiderate campaign should be rather severe.
Note that anyone not abiding by the regulations of the filming permit (Municipal Code, Chapter 459) is technically liable to fine of no more than $5000 (Provincial Offences Act, Section 61). The conditions also allow for the City to collect damages "arising from the issuance of the permit or the use of the highway, property, or park," though this likely wouldn't be interpreted as retroactive "non-concrete" damages.
The granted permit lists the logo sculpture as "set dressing" for a TV commercial—a TV commercial curiously not requiring any production trucks, production equipment or crew.
As for the "only one day" argument, is it better to have fifty logos showing up in parks for one day, or 120 logos showing up in even more parks over three days? Either way, it doesn't matter—Audi went seriously wrong with this idea, and they refuse to apologize for the impropriety.
Y'all are infected by the totalitarian mindset of TPSC: only graffitti and govenrment messages should be allowed. This is a great campaign, interesting, and cool, and was properly permitted.
Kenneth Cole launched his shoe company with a "film", and Audi has moving TTs. Torontoist needs to be much less Maoist and accept what city living is about: change, commerce, vitality. If you want a government run mausleum, check out Cuba or North Korea: no evil advertising or development there.
"hey": No, it was not properly permitted, which is why the City pulled the film permit.
As mentioned ad nauseam on Torontoist, we are neither necessarily pro-ad nor anti-ad, but there are limits to what constitutes appropriate advertising, which is the whole reason public parks are designated as ad-free areas. Comparing opposition to these ads to the Communist regimes of Cuba, China and North Korea is a silly argument since Toronto is in no danger of banning all advertising or commercial development. When ad agencies and large corporations begin to flaunt laws and wield disproportionate control over City Hall, that's when we have a serious problem.
Advertising needs to be allowed, but also regulated. If it wasn't, a beer company might feel free to paint the sidewalks blue from Front to Bloor or a skyscraper could be built in the shape of a gigantic Coke bottle.
I hope some rogue artisan sculpts TI before the TT and IES after Audi's ad on the DVP.
interesting how "GH," and over on the spacing wire, "Free Speech" both describe the campaign using signifiers such as "Maoists" and "North Korea," given that they're Audi's very few defenders on these threads. i smell a conspiracy -- maybe TOist and Spacing should compare IP address notes?
TPSC and illegalsigns are a maoist movement. TPSC opposes ALL advertising outside, in the TTC, etc. What would you call it?
Just cause there are several people who don't agree with you doesn't mean that we're getting paid by anybody: there truly are people who believe that advertising belongs in the public square, that appreciate innovative campaigns, and generaly oppose everything that Spacing is. Torontoist claims to not have a line or a bias, but responses to things like this, and the overlap of writers and commenters between spacing and torontoist belies this.
Just a reminder, counselling criminal activity is a crime, so all of the encouragement of graffitti is itself criminal. Not that anyone cares, since "private property is the real theft". Except of course when a bike gets stolen or a rock goes through YOUR window, rather than a developer's.
TPSC and illegalsigns are a maoist movement.
I think you need to go find the actual definition of Maoism before you continue any further along this tack.
Dave M, that would be hey, not me. So is the conspiracy over, or would you like to post our email addresses also so that readers can harass us too?
This particular story isn't whether or not advertising should be allowed; it's that advertisers (including billboard companies) have been knowingly and intentionally ignoring our laws and that there seem to be no significant consequences for doing so. I can't believe that a lot of people don't seem to have a problem with that.
We're not saying that we need to change existing advertising laws; just that the laws need to be seriously enforced. It's also unfair to other advertisers who do spend the time and money to go through the proper channels.
City of Toronto: "If you want to put billboards on public property, you need to get the relevant permits. And by the way, parks are designated as ad-free areas."
Audi: "Whatever."
Hello, just been reading over the article and comments. Unfortunately I am back in Berlin and can not do a thing about this. If I was in Toronto I would take a sledge hammer and destroy these TT emblems. Come on Toronto stop being passive aggressive and actually do something about the onslaught of advertising. Destroy it because there is nothing the police or advertising companies can do to you. This is legal limbo land because they are illegal in the first place.
Cheers Jeremy Lynch
Oh boo hoo! It must suck to go through life getting so indignant at silly stuff. I have a feeling we'll all survive a couple giant TT's kicking around the city for a day or two.
But hey, if you're so displeased, you ought to whine to Mayor Miller too. The ad agency that did the TT campaign also does Miller's election advertising.
Hey, I spotted three of these signs way out past Oshawa last night! My Greyhound bus from Ottawa took the long way into Toronto, along Taunton Rd. I got to see some beautiful "enclave communities" and "smart centres" but the highlight was the TT signs. If anyone wants to go say hi, they were here: maps.google.ca/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=10&ll=43.959708,-78.751802&spn=0.007908,0.020084&z=16&om=1
A typical response from a silly consumer that has no ideal what is going on in their world, their city or for that matter their head. But you just keep thinking that way consumer.
Because the revolution is coming and the ad wanks will be one of the first ones against the wall.
Cheers Jeremy Lynch
p.s. Consume consumer, consume.
The sad thing is, if I say that Audi should be nailed to the goddamn wall because they lied to the city and used those lies to mount several dozen ad installations on public land, I end up looking like I agree with Jeremy Lynch....
Oh well. You can't always choose your friends.
I happen to like the free flow of capital, but I like the rule of law and simple bloody human decency more. Whatever penalties the city can hit Audi with probably won't be enough. (illegalsigns.ca has pretty much convinced me that our current bylaws are a fire sale to advertisers.) If the things were attractive, that might stir me -- I'm still of the mindset I was the last time illegal art came up on Torontoist -- but these things are just ugly. Partly because they're dog-ugly, but mostly because of the active, malicious dishonesty involved in erecting them.
When the "revolution" comes, you'll have to shoot me, but please shoot me last.
(So, rek, have I surprised you?)
Your only problem with this whole affair is the way they did not get permits and the aesthetic of the TT. As for your love for free flow of capital. I guareentee you Anticorium, like most people, you are in debt and have become the banks bitch as well as a wage slave. But the advertising propaganda is too great, you actually believe that you are free and have choices. Keep consuming consumer, that is the only way to mask your salvation.
Cheers Jeremy Lynch
p.s. please Anticorium before you respond, think a little deeper, its hard to have an arguement with someone who is brainwashed by the corporations.
I hated those things. I really think that fines/charges should be laid against audi for this. They knew they were breaking the law, they should know that there are consequences for one's actions.
Elliot
p.s. Jeremy Lynch, do you trade vegan cookies for your internet service? Is your computer made out of salvaged parts? Are all the clothes you're wearing home made or from a second-hand shop? Keep consuming, consumer.
The day I drove past the TTs on the Bayview Extension coincidentally was the same day a huge TT brochure was delivered in my Globe and Mail.
At first I thought the TT was some weird Sesame Street thing, but then figured it was just more junk pushed over the hill from the every messy Governer's Bridge/Bayview Ghost monster homes.
Most people I talked to noticed them but had no idea what they were; they were placed and gone within 24 hours.
(I also wondered how long it would take TOist to get this online, ANNND much respect for having someone not from the TPSC post this!!)
BTW, your email links for the ad campaign people aren't actually email links, the code should be mailto:xxx@xxx.com instead.
Anticorum - that you did, that you did.