Film and Television Office Issues Permit For Phantom TV Commercial, Allowing 50 Billboards in Parks and City Streets.
IllegalSigns.ca is asking Councillor Kyle Rae, Chairman of the Economic Development Committee to investigate the Film and Television Office for violations of City policy that resulted in the Audi TT signs fiasco.
Apparently nobody is minding the shop at the Film and Television Office. These signs were installed ostensibly as “set dressing” for an Audi TV commercial in about 50 locations around town, in parks and on road allowance. But there is no TV commercial and the FTO was hoodwinked into issuing permits for this advertising campaign, because it didn’t follow its own policies. Here are some sings along Avenue Road:
The signs come with this permit attached, which was issued to SBC Events Inc.:
But they are not set dressing at all, and there is no TV commercial. According to Audi itself, in this press release, the signs are billboards. From the press release: “On May 16, 17 and 18, Audi Canada will garnish Toronto’s streets with six-foot high, fifteen-foot long double Ts (TT). The “Street Ts” will be moving displays that grace each location for a day and cover more than 120 sites throughout the city during the three day period. Though predominantly positioned in Toronto’s financial district, the “Street Ts” will also make their way to key arteries, such as the Don Valley Parkway, Gardiner Expressway and Lakeshore Blvd. And on Friday, May 18, they will move to the 400 and 401 to catch the long-weekend cottage traffic.”
Audi is claiming more than 120 sites, but the City says there are 50.
And how much does the City make from allowing this sign to be situated on city property as “set dressing”. Zilch. Somebody at the Film and Television Office got hoodwinked. If the City was to actually sell these sites as billboard space (which it shouldn’t for a minute), it would make tens of thousands on these signs. See, it is the Film and Television Office’s policy to run all requests for filming by City Councillors. But local councillors’ offices were not consulted prior to the issuance of this permit. It appears that a low level clerk in the FTO office doesn’t know what the fuck she is doing.
Is the Film and Television Office taking dictats from the Mayor’s office in violation of City policy or did it just slip up? Apparently, senior officials in the Film and TV office were as oblivious as the local councillors as to the issuance of this permit and couldn’t quite explain why City Councillors were not consulted.
Another problem with the permit: it does not specify all locations the TT signs are allowed but simple says “City Streets” for those signs on the road allowance. In addition, the permit, at the very bottom, says “Ward 20,” but most of the signs are not in Ward 20.
We call on the Film and Television Office to immediately revoke the permit for this “set dressing” as it was not issued according to City policies and Audi has publicaly stated that these are billboards. The permit issued to SBC states that the permit is “subject to cancellation without notice.” Furthermore, we reject the suggestion that the city’s signs by-laws, which strictly restrict signage in parks, can be overturned by a decision made by a low-level official in the Film and Television office to issue this permit. In fact, these signs require variances to the signs by-laws.
The funny thing is this. This “TV commercial” hasn’t been shot yet, so why is the web site advertised on the signs already up and running? www.thenewauditt.ca They appear to have pulled the wool over the eyes of at least some people at City Hall. There is of course no TV commercial in the works at all.
After being up for only hours, many of these signs have already been toppled, tagged and de-vandalized, like the sign in the top left photo above. After all, the signs aren’t exactly built out of re-enforced steel. We applaud civilian enforcement of the city’s by-laws. No shoot can possible be all around the city all at once. These are illegal ads. We’d like to see somebody smash the signs rather than smash a bunch of Audi TTs at Downtown Fine Cars, but don’t let us stop you.
We have zero faith in this city’s bureaucrats to actually do their job and take the signs off the street. Please contact your city councillor to express your concerns.
This is a city run by 44 clowns, managed by 150 idiots on behalf of 2.5 Million suckers.
May 17th, 2007 at 9:28 am
well I guess this explains why there was a 100′x100′ Audi TT commercial that was being broadcast continuously via projector onto the wall of a building at the S/E corner of Front and Bathurst last night…
Anyone want to help install a billboard with me on the blvd. across from Miller’s front lawn….?
I know a good metal guy for the frame and I can dig and pour the footing in less than 15 minutes late at night.
I just need help with the informative text for the sign and the concurrent media release!
Please contact Rami for my email unless you are some type of legal authority…
May 17th, 2007 at 10:59 am
I’ve posted another shot of a TT sign in a public park, at http://www.seemsartless.com/index.php?pic=1050 The photo is from the Stratford Park along Bayview, here on the map: http://wholemap.com/map/index.php?pin=SART-1050
May 17th, 2007 at 11:39 am
It is also worth mentioning that the press release lists the following contact information (as of 12:30EST on May 17th… who knows if that will change as this story gets out):
CONTACT INFORMATION
Audi Canada
Doug Clark
(905) 428-4893 or Mobile: (905) 409-6364
Email: douglas.clark {at} audi(.)com
or
Lowe Roche
Geoffrey Roche
(416) 927-9794 or Mobile: (416) 409-2524
Email: Geoffrey {at} loweroche(.)com
or
MAVERICK PR
Julie Rusciolelli
(416) 640-5525 or Mobile: (416 )457-9954
Email: julier {at} maverickpr(.)com
May 17th, 2007 at 11:40 am
there is one of these at Don Mills and Eglinton too - had no idea what the hell it was and how they could’ve got permission to do this.
Take it down. -Rami
May 17th, 2007 at 1:14 pm
Well at least I know where not to spend my inheritance.
Anyone register boycott-audi.ca yet?
May 17th, 2007 at 1:42 pm
I noticed these things and I’m shocked by them, I really don’t like them. I haven’t seen the ones downtown, but I have seen the three on my way to work, and they sit in high traffic areas. They’re really ugly and I’m glad that they’ll be taken down soon.
locations:
- High Park - on the west side of Parkside Dr just north of Lake Shore
- two on Lake Shore Blvd westbound - on the north side between Colborne Lodge Dr and Windermere Ave
May 17th, 2007 at 2:09 pm
Awesome summary of the situation. This needs to be a T-shirt!
May 17th, 2007 at 2:28 pm
I sent an email to Maverick, the PR company behind the ads, to let them know that they acted dishonestly in hoodwinking the Toronto Film Office. They must have sent my email off to Audi, as I got a reply from Doug Clark at Audi. Here is what he had to say (clearly he’s sticking to an entirely different story [i.e. probably false] than what has been reported on this website)….
Dear Mark,
Thank you very much for your letter and concern.
The Audi Canada campaign that broke yesterday was a multi touch point campaign including the temporary placement of large TT structures you’ve seen across the city for a day’s duration in each location. This effort is limited in duration to three days in total (May 16 - May 18) and involves the movement of these sculptures to various locations. Please be assured that Audi Canada along with its production partner paid for and received city permits or the private owner’s permission for all of the locations being used for the purpose of photographing / filming the TT sculptures in unique settings specific to Toronto. Given your concerns, I am pleased to tell you that the movement schedule of the TT sculptures has them only in private locations from the end of today forward.
Again, thank you for letting us know your thoughts.
Sincerely
Doug Clark
Director of Communications / Marketing & PR
Audi Canada
777 Bayly Street West
Ajax, Ontario L1S 7G7
Tel: +1 905 428 4893
Fax: +1 905 428 4891
email: douglas.clark {at} audi(.)com
http://www.audicanada.ca
Doug Clark is full of shit, he lied to get the permits by telling the City it was for a TV Commericial and he should be charged. -Rami
May 17th, 2007 at 2:32 pm
I got a call on my new Nokia phone from my friend who was shopping at Home Outfitters not too far from Nestle Purina. Him and I were going to be meeting our Makenzie Investments rep and later go for a pint of Stella Artois with our other buddies (the Johnson & Johnson twins) who like to hang out at the Toronto Zoo. I almost spilled my Nestea when he told me about these large Audi TT’s. I had to see them. I saw one on the Lakeshore and oh my la vache qui rit - they’re cool.
Well said -Rami
May 17th, 2007 at 2:37 pm
Good news! I’ve heard from the Director of Communications / Marketing & PR at Audi Canada, who assured me that the “movement schedule of the TT sculptures has them only in private locations from the end of today forward”. He still maintained that the permits were “for the purpose of photographing / filming the TT sculptures in unique settings specific to Toronto”, even though their press release makes it clear that the sculptures ARE the marketing material…
May 17th, 2007 at 3:27 pm
From Councillor Gord Perks via Matt Blackett of Spacing Wire:
It has come to my attention that advertising from “Audiâ€, in the form of two T’s on top of concrete blocks, has been placed inside High Park.
While I am aware that this park is not in my Ward, I wish to stress my disapproval of any type of advertising in the City’s green spaces. I believe that there is a bylaw in place restricting the use of parks to advertise, and I would like to see these structures removed as soon as possible.
Please be advised that I have copied Councillor Saundercook in this email, and I have referred concerns regarding this issue to his office.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Gord Perks
City Councillor
Ward 14, Parkdale-High Park
PS: I sent [an email] to the General Manager of Parks, Forestry and Recreation. I understand from Councillor Saundercook’s office that parks bylaw from Ward 13 are currently investigating this matter.
May 17th, 2007 at 11:27 pm
city councillors only make about One Hundred Thousand Dollars (http://www.citynews.ca/news/news_2264.aspx), how could we hold them accountable.
May 18th, 2007 at 7:07 pm
“:Audi shoud konw that putting them on private property is just as illegal and requires a sign permit. All the more reason to smash some Audis tonight. -Rami”
Is it really appropriate to advocate the vandalism of someone’s property because one is personally offended by an advertising campaign with which those people had nothing to do?
May 19th, 2007 at 7:16 am
[...] [Source: Seemsartless, Spacing.ca, illegalsigns.ca] [...]
May 19th, 2007 at 10:44 am
I remember seeing one obstructing sidewalk traffic on Front and Simcoe. I even tried to rip one of the T’s off the base. Had I known this was an illegal advertising campaign I would have shown more resolve.
May 19th, 2007 at 11:46 am
find one of the signs obstructing the sidewalk, find someone in a wheelchair that can’t get around it and have them sue the shit out of them.
May 19th, 2007 at 11:59 am
Genius.
Although, why did they bother registering with the city at all? They should have made this more of a “guerrilla” operation and just dumped them all over the city like the Aqua Teen Hunger Force marketing campaign. So they pay a few dollars in fines; they’ll more than make up for it with increased sales.
May 19th, 2007 at 12:16 pm
Hmmm, while I absolutely agree that this stunt has successfully covered the city in illegal ads, it doesn’t take much shooting to meet the letter of what Doug Clark says.
One certainly does not need to see all of the trappings of shooting a big budget TV commercial for a TV commercial to be shot. All you need to do is drive by each location shooting out a car window with a DV camera and you’ve got the shot. If you get drive-bys from 50+ locations and from a few directions, you have more than enough footage for a series of ads. If you were prepared you could have them cut and on the air in days.
Of course, that kind of quick guerilla style film-making does not require the giant TTs to be sitting on location for any longer than the time it takes to unload, shoot and load it back on a track.
I absolutely support calling this out as illegal advertising. But don’t be surprised if Audi pulls a TV ad out of their ass.
May 19th, 2007 at 12:26 pm
D’oh! I should not have said that out loud while there was still time for a Lowe Roche intern to race around town with a video cam!
May 19th, 2007 at 12:48 pm
call me crazy or American [same thing, I guess], but I can totally see how Audi and their agency could have a legitimate, creative concept behind these things that doesn’t have to just be “pulled out of their ass”.
Is it possible that they had some driveby commercial concept in mind first, and then imagined the advertising/billboard function as a happy side effect of dressing the city up for a few days? [oops, guess that didn't turn out well.]
It doesn’t lessen the validity of the anti-signage, billboard regulation violation argument that people are making, and it doesn’t change the fact that Audi may have wanted to get a few days’ free advertising thrown into their commercial production, but I guess the real underlying issue is Toronto’s underlying “shoot it easier, cheaper here!” economic development model.
At least when Disney took over Central Park for the outdoor premiere of Pocahontas, the NYC government was smart enough to shake the company down for a million bucks [USD].
May 19th, 2007 at 1:19 pm
Hi! Unfortunately I think you are not going to get very far with your angry campaign. Not that I love Audi or anything but seriously. You say ‘This “TV commercial†hasn’t been shot yet’ but how do you know that? Normally companies in fact do photograph in video or still images anything they put up with their name on it, at the very least to report in-house. And there is nothing stopping them from making a TV commercial showing their ads in very visible places, that is not uncommon for example a nice video display Volvo made for a car show was used in their ads. Finally I believe you have been duped. You see the TV commercial has indeed been shot.. and you did it for them! This is Audi’s genius as much as I dislike the blurring of advertising/annoyance/image building/guerilla strategy/terror that is all the vogue. Audi has built a meta-commercial in which its customers and even it seems their detractors just can’t help themselves but stumble over, photograph, gab about and immortalize their logo. Maybe they’re saying something about their car too. In fact I just can’t resist it seem quite clear to me that you are an Audi shill. Everyone could have pleasantly forgotten about it and that would have made their campaign a failure, and maybe someone could have fined them afterwards and that would be it. Instead they can keep building on this and you will see that darned TT logo all over the place and one day yes on your TV. Thanks for nothing, your commercial was boring.
May 19th, 2007 at 3:38 pm
Slam the company and the (lame) ad campaign all you like, but chill on the calls for smashing Audi’s, yeah? Someone just like you or me could be the owner.
Cheers,
Mark, not an Audi owner
May 19th, 2007 at 5:21 pm
It’s not impossible MB, but given that an anti-advertising sentiment tends to dovetail with other anti-consumerist, anti-consumption philosophies, I’m not entirely sure how many illegalsigns.ca readers are likely to own an Audi. Conspicuous consumption is a political purchase that not a lot of critically politically-minded people would be likely to make. That said, I can appreciate how an anti-advertising sentiment might be seen by some as more of an ethical aesthetic thing.
I don’t support the smashing of cars because its just dumb and wasteful. But if you see these TT monoliths somewhere, have at it I say!
May 19th, 2007 at 8:59 pm
This is street spam. Just remove it. Audi has placed this stuff, then abandoned it, therefore it is trash and unwanted. The same goes for “lose weight” signs, and all the other crooks that put this crap up.
I remove this junk wherever I see it. The funny ones are the signs that get chained to a pole or something. A nice set of bolt cutters makes short work of those.
The website in my sig is to the Citizens Against Ugly Street Spam site.
Dude, your site rocks. -Rami
May 20th, 2007 at 1:14 pm
I’m not in Toronto (thank god) but people should start picking these up and have a public burning of them, filmed for youtube, of course. Audi needs to be taught that public space is not a whore.
May 20th, 2007 at 7:18 pm
Hey, I just say this on boingboing.net, and remember seeing these signs near the edge of a field in Scugog, just outside of Port Perry on highway 12.
May 20th, 2007 at 11:01 pm
[...] Greg!) Update: Stuart sez, “Rami Tabello, the co-ordinator of illegalsigns.ca has a continuing account on his website. This is a man with a [...]
May 21st, 2007 at 12:28 am
[...] Audi lies to Toronto and asks for a film permit to film a non-existent commercial so they can put ob… (tags: corporatism holy_shit whaddafuck) [...]
May 21st, 2007 at 9:57 am
Someone should have made and published a film before Audi and when they published one, sue for copyright infringement.
May 21st, 2007 at 10:16 am
The should have done it in Boston, they could have gotten free pyrotechnics for the film shoots.
May 21st, 2007 at 10:24 am
The owner of this site drives a Mini Cooper, which is a competitor of the TT.
May 24th, 2007 at 12:39 am
[...] activists at IllegalSigns.ca are not amused: After being up for only hours, many of these signs have already been toppled, [...]
May 24th, 2007 at 2:04 am
[...] [Source: Seemsartless, Spacing.ca, illegalsigns.ca] [...]
May 30th, 2007 at 6:34 am
[...] [Source: Seemsartless, Spacing.ca, illegalsigns.ca] [...]
May 30th, 2007 at 6:53 am
[...] [Source: Seemsartless, Spacing.ca, illegalsigns.ca] [...]
October 17th, 2007 at 6:48 pm
Any follow up on this? Did Audio get slapped?
October 17th, 2007 at 6:49 pm
Any fall-out from this stunt in the intervening half-year?
I think they got embarrassed. But no legal fallout that I know of and Audi is still using the same ad firm. -Rami