Auckland Billboards Better than Blank Ugly Walls

DDB New Zealand has responded to plans to ban billboards from central Auckland, with a series of billboards highlighting the ugly appearance of many of Auckland’s buildings. The billboards show photographs of the side of the building printed onto a billboard skin.

“Not Exactly the Sistine Chapel, is it?” – in Symonds Street, Auckland

The billboards are part of a campaign, “Say No to No Billboards”, designed by New Zealand’s Communication Agencies Association (CAANZ) and billboard company Oggi, in partnership with local advertising agencies.

Bruce Hucker, in an article for the New Zealand Herald, asks “Should we have a city in which large billboards and a plethora of signs dominate every shopping strip, every street corner and every road intersection? Or should we create a city in which signs and billboards have their place, but do not overwhelm our heritage buildings, our quality architecture, and our public spaces?”

“This is the the view we are spoiling.” in Great North Road.

Auckland City Council has just closed submissions on the draft billboard bylaws have now closed. Should the decision to ban billboards in the inner city be finalised in May, local businesses will be given eighteen months to comply.

In the last week some councillors have backed suggestions from local businesses and advertisers that the proposed regulations be withdrawn and that a more collaborative approach be carefully managed instead.

“Ah, that’s better”. in Newton Road.

Credits

The billboards pictured here were developed by DDB NZ by executive creative director Toby Talbot, creatives Martin Brown and Darran Wong Kam, typographer Mike Davison, with photographer Mat Baker, retoucher Gordon Moir and studio manager Cherie Mason.

via Sarah McDonald at National Business Review