Audi apparently thought it could pull one over on the residents of Toronto, but it got caught. The automaker from Ingolstadt applied for a permit from the Film and Television Office of Toronto to shoot a commercial that would allow it to place double "T" statues that measure six feet high and fifteen feet long all over the city for a period of three days. A
press release issued by Audi, however, confirms that no commercial would be shot, but rather that the statues are meant to act as billboards
advertising the new
Audi TT. The placement of the statues as advertisements, though, violates the city's signage laws.
About 50 of the statues were placed around Toronto, some appearing in park settings where residents go to enjoy natural beauty and a peaceful environment in the city. Clearly, the statues are regarded as a major eyesore, and people are ticked off that Audi and its advertising agency, Maverick PR, bent the rules to place them in the path of Toronto's residents.
Well, the citizenry has risen up against Audi's misuse of the permit and the fact that city officials ever granted it at all. Some have outright vandalized the sculptures, while others have appealed to the local government. City Hall has already responded by ordering Audi to remove all of the sculptures. Power to the people!
Thanks for the tip, David!
[Source: Seemsartless, Spacing.ca, illegalsigns.ca]