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Monday, April 30, 2007

Ban these stinking billboards


I’m all for banning these bloody billboards in Auckland – I am sick to death of having advertisers ram things into my eyeballs MY EYEBALLS ARE NOT FOR SALE! If I’m in public space, why should I have your advert for undies, or TV shows or whatever other garbage you want to force feed me thrust into my face? This is public space, why must I be bombarded with you messages to BUY BUY BUY BUY BUY BUY BUY BUY (now) – I mean isn’t that type of consumption consumer culture actually part of the ‘bigger’ problems here folks? I say keep the billboards, but instead of dirty adverts wanting to rape my eyeballs, I say we should have art everywhere on these billboards, wouldn’t that make Auckland an amazing place then? Art on every billboard rather than tampax adverts or SUV swine mobile adverts or Ronald fucking mcdonald adverts – let’s make Auckland truly unique – oh and how would we pay for that? Well here’s where I’m happy to be flexible, perhaps part of the deal could be sponsorship, allow the business community to sponsor the billboards to make Auckland look more beautiful, instead of selling their bullshit products, they could sell their good will.

Fashion designer slams proposed billboard ban
The proposed ban on billboards in Auckland City is a farce, says fashion designer Denise L'Estrange-Corbet. She says she will not take down the one on the roof of her inner-city workroom. "When I bought my building it had a billboard which the city council gave permission for many years ago ... here's the registration plate ... No 479 and the rent from this contributes largely to the mortgage," the World label chief executive told commissioners hearing views on the draft billboards and signs bylaw. "Suddenly, I find a group of city councillors want to put an end to the CBD having billboards ... without any good reason and any plans to reimburse us for loss of revenue." Ms L'Estrange-Corbet said she could not find any benefits in banning billboards. "Billboards are informative and colourful and are part of every city in the world.

5 Comments:

At 30/4/07 11:06 am, Anonymous Anonymous said...

We wouldn't actually be unique, Havana and Pyonyang also have a similar absence of advertising...

 
At 30/4/07 5:59 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said...

No they don't.

Havana, Pyongyang and other communist cities have PLENTY of advertising.

but for one purpose only - glorifying the party and their leader.

 
At 30/4/07 8:27 pm, Blogger Peter Vegas said...

Sorry Bomber, but I dont agree on the anti billboard thing. And I am not just saying that because I have made loads of dosh in advertising by tricking people into buying stuff. Is advertising really so evil? If a street poster guy puts up a poster about a gig or album from a band you like and you find out about it by seeing that poster then it is of use to you and the band yes? Not to mention the guy who makes a lving putting up posters adnthe guy who designs them and the guy who prints them. But that same poster is just an eye sore to the middle aged woman. The same woman however, who sees the giant billboard adveritsing some crap concert at the Aotea Centre and books tickets for her and huby that night. If the concert hadnt been advertised on the billboards perhaps less people would have gone to it and it wouldn't have made as much money. In the future perhaps the promoter skips Auckland or has to charge a higher ticket price to cover costs. Should the guy who has a tattoo parlour up a set of stairs in a lane offthe main street not be allowed to have a sign on the footpath advertuising where he is becasue people not interested in tattoos find it an eye sore? Now I know it is a big leap from a tattoo guy with a footpath sign and a corporation flogging shampoo on a billboard but it is bascially the same. People trying to make a buck flogging their stuff. When it comes to the next local body election are the same councilors who are so anti billboards, going to promise not to put up their ugly little 'voter for me' signs all over town or do those not count? And if a councillor running for election was offered a hugh billboard in a prime site in town for free do you think they would turn that and the potential extra votes down? OK so you and the ad haters say 'kust ban big ugly billboards. But where do we draw the line. Can some billboards stay. Like the Sharp logo on auckland hospital that earned revenue for the place. How about charaties or events. Do we say yes to them but no to shampoo and fizzy drink?
The other real roblem I have with this whole billboard fuss is that fact that city coucillors are using it to deflect people's attention from what a crap job they are doing of running the city. Anyway that's enough from me. Keep us the good work. Let us know if you want me to whip up a Tumeke ad campaign for you. Radio, press, tv billboards adn my favourite, sky writing. There's not enough ofthat happening these days.
Cheers

 
At 30/4/07 9:59 pm, Blogger Michael Wood said...

Funny how Denise L'Estrange-Corbet's occasional forays into public debate generally seem to quite co-incidentally involve making her richer - ie) support for cheap labour in the fashion industry, support for billboards that "contributes largely to the mortgate".

In the old days they'd call that naked self interest.

 
At 30/4/07 10:01 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Ah...my mistake ;)

 

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