CHICAGO (AP) — Seven vinyl banners draped this month along one of
Chicago's most iconic bridges, advertisements some have dubbed "a visual
crime" and "commercial graffiti," are reviving a debate about how
governments raise money in tough economic times.
In
the aftermath of the Great Recession, a public school district in
Colorado is selling ads on report cards and Utah has a new law allowing
ads on school buses. Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel's administration,
straining to fill a $600 million budget hole, is looking to raise $25
million from ads on city property — including bridges, electrical
storage boxes and garbage cans.
The effort kicked off this month
with Bank of America ads on the 81-year-old Wabash Avenue Bridge, which
crosses the Chicago River and has appeared in movies including "About
Last Night" and "The Dark Knight."
"I think it's
disgusting," Chicago resident Linda Rosenthal said recently, shaking her
head as she surveyed the signs. "The architecture in Chicago is
stunning. To see this awful advertisement angers me."
The white ads with blue lettering and Bank of America's logo are
posted on limestone bridge tender houses, which hold the equipment used
to raise the bridge when tall boats pass beneath. Bank of America paid
$4,500 to put seven signs on the bridge for about a month, said city
spokeswoman Kathleen Strand.
Strand promised the
city's new campaign will have "policies to protect the integrity of
Chicago's facade" and likened the initiative to the Chicago Transit
Authority bringing in about $20 million annually from abundant ads on
buses and elevated trains that don't seem to anger anybody.
"The municipal marketing strategy is really about pursuing
innovative opportunities to avoid having to cut city services or
increase the tax burden on Chicagoans," Strand said.
Still, some ask where the line will be drawn. Could the city's
historic Water Tower be next? Or Grant Park's famed Buckingham Fountain?
The city's two major daily newspapers have faced off with
opposing views. Chicago Tribune architecture critic Blair Kamin called
the bridge ads "a visual crime" and "a grotesque cheapening of the
public realm." A Chicago Sun-Times editorial said the ads, while
unappealing, "beat going bust."
Bank of America
spokeswoman Diane Wagner said the company said yes when Chicago
officials asked if the bank wanted to advertise on the bridge because
it's a major employer and philanthropic supporter in the city.
"We agreed to be the first company to display on the bridge
because we want to help the city explore new revenue sources and we
think this is an innovative way to generate new revenue," Wagner said.
Chicago advertising professionals doubt it was a smart move for either side.
"I have made my living in advertising, but there has to be
better ways to raise money," said Tim Terchek, executive creative
director of the Drucker Group ad firm. What's more, the bridge ads could
backfire if public disgust sticks to the bank, he said.
Leo Burnett Company's chief strategy officer Stephen Hahn-Griffiths overlooks the bridge ads altogether.
"It's like commercial graffiti," Hahn-Griffiths said. "It
makes no sense from a marketing perspective and I question the intent of
doing this because it does not seem like a smart decision."
Former Milwaukee Mayor John Norquist, president and CEO of the
Chicago-based Congress for the New Urbanism, suggested the city could
instead rent out spaces like the City Hall lobby or library and cultural
center theaters for weddings and other events.
"Placing advertising on a city's architectural assets takes away from the public realm," Norquist said.
Some officials across the country, and the world, disagree.
In Rome, an Italian shoe company founder has pledged to
foot $34 million to restore the Colosseum — the ancient arena blackened
by pollution — and its founder has said the gesture could launch more
private sponsorship for public benefit in Italy. In Venice, Mayor
Giorgio Orsoni defended the use of publicity on restoration of such
projects as the famed Doges Palace, saying sponsors' contribution
allowed the work to be accelerated.
But Venice also
has strict rules on the use of advertisements. Only 10 percent of an
exposed facade can be covered, and ads for cigarettes, alcohol and those
featuring nudity are banned.
Back in the U.S., a
suburban Salt Lake City school district plans to be Utah's first to
plaster its buses with advertisements in an effort to generate
additional revenue without raising taxes. While the ad revenue is
expected to supplement the Jordan School District's budget, officials
said it won't be enough to make up for the recent budget cuts.
It's a similar story in Golden, Colo., where Jefferson
County Public Schools' report cards now feature ads for the
CollegeInvest college savings program. The ads raise $30,000 a year.
"Parents understand where we are at with the funding
issues and most of the reaction has been positive," said school district
spokeswoman Lorie Gillis.
Retiree Jim Phillips,
who leads free tours of Chicago's bridges, challenged the city to
channel public curiosity about the structures into money-making
ventures, such as charging tourists to see the bridge houses' inner
workings.
"If it gets to the point advertisements
go on more of these historic structures, I don't think there's any way
to stop them on others," Phillips said. "What if you put a NASCAR suit
on the Picasso? What if you slapped a Google sign on one of the lions at
the Art Institute?"
Merging Big City Success with The Feeling of "ALOHA" practiced Daily on Our Islands
Welcome, Please browse at Your Convienence
To All Our Visitors "ALOHA!" and "Mahalo!"
Racing Crow Data Disaster Backup for Business
RACING CROW !!! <--- CLICK!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment