13 July 2014

Brand Canberra... again - The Canberra Sign

| Josh Mulrine
Join the conversation
57
canberra-sign

The idea is to create a larger than life Hollywood style sign, just on the outskirts of Canberra, to greet visitors to the nation’s capital.

Now I must admit that it’s definitely a better idea than renaming Canberra after one of the world’s most popular Japanese motorbikes, the Honda CBR, but can’t we do something more original?

For years we’ve been known as The Bush Capital. This giant sign could potentially change that perception and move us closer to a big smoke reputation. If in fact we’re after that…

Alicia Doherty the lady driving the campaign is well known for being a founding team member of Events NSW, and contributes to some of Canberra’s larger events. She is responsible for the fairy lights that dress up the trees in the CBD and for establishing the success of Skate in the city.

Alicia wants to install large projectors, similar to the Enlighten festival, to illuminate the sign for special events. For example: bathing the sign in pink light for Breast Cancer Awareness Week and Brumbies colours during home games.

I’m a big advocate for Canberra being better known as a global capital and I do believe this will generate a lot of worldwide press. Will it be good press? I’m not sure. What’s your opinion?

Join the conversation

57
All Comments
  • All Comments
  • Website Comments
LatestOldest
justin heywood7:40 pm 16 Jul 14

Masquara said :

Alicia bringing Victoria Cross heroes into her commercial PR mix is just disgraceful.

Oh come on. She’s not personally profiting from the ‘VC Heroes’ Masquara, it’s just an idea she has put forward.

I don’t personally find the sign idea all that exciting, but I appreciate the aim of ‘branding’ our city a little better. Canberra is one of Australia’s great cities with much to offer -but its reputation amongst the rest of Australia is pretty woeful. At least some people are working on improving it.

Tatters said :

Why don’t we just put up a big sign that says P.O.L.L.I.E.W.O.O.D.

“Hooray for Polliewood…”

Alicia bringing Victoria Cross heroes into her commercial PR mix is just disgraceful.

Alicia, as long as you purchase the land, build your sign, connect and pay for the electricity and any roads required, and maintain it for perpetuity (including a clause that if it falls into disrepair you are responsible for removal) and do all of this with your own funds and don’t receive one cent of public money, grant or a tax write-off I really don’t care what font you use or what the sign says.

You want it? You build it and pay for it. Good luck to you.

Why don’t we just put up a big sign that says P.O.L.L.I.E.W.O.O.D.

MyCanberraSign said :

Masquara said :

Alicia Doherty is an American, she knows that the Hollywood sign actually looks out over Hollywood and is beautifully and meaningfully sited. Having this copycat Canberra sign on New South Wales soil, looking out over New South Wales sheep paddocks, and sited overlooking a pub that was put there specifically to avoid ACT costs & taxes, is just a nonsense, sorry. There’s the embarrassment that it’s a copy – but a banal one, without the deprecating humour of, say, The Rock where you get petrol on your way from Sydney to Brisbane (used to be “Ayer’s Rock”) There’s a further comparison that doesn’t favour this idea. Hollywood is a commerce city. It’s PR Central. Canberra is the seat of government and if we were just a small bush town it could be a laugh as a take-off – but there’s a significant dissonance in this whole idea. It’s an ill-thought-out concept. Did Robyn Archer really promise to promote this idea? Perhaps she was approached at a function, said something polite and nodded over a sherbert! File this one along with the Lake Burley Griffin Hovercraft venture.

Hi all, I’ve tried to respond to all of the concerns raised so far…

Yes, there are some similarities with the Hollywood sign:

1. The sign is located on a hill on the outskirts of town.
2. The letters are HUGE so can be seen by thousands of people on a daily basis via both road and air.
3. The site provides amazing photo opportunities that will help the tourism industry promote Canberra.

There are many differences with the Hollywood sign:

1. The sign will be created through the collaboration of the local community & interested parties, industry experts and government (to clarify, this is NOT a government driven project).
2. The letters will be large but they will be quite elegant and will have well considered design and architectural features that will enhance the site and showcase local artists/craftsmen/draftsmen/students/industry specialists/others.
3. A ‘whole of quarry’ approach will be considered so that the entire site/image is used as effectively as possible to create a unique landmark that people engage with and embrace. For example, mass plantings of the quarry steps could enhance how it looks.
4. A high quality lighting system will be incorporated at night so that the sign becomes a constantly evolving artwork that not only looks attractive but also promotes local communities/activities/events. For example, during Breast Cancer Awareness Week, the sign can be bathed in a pink light. During NAIDOC week, local artists and/or groups associated with the event can be provided an opportunity to design relevant images that can be projected onto the sign. The opportunities for different images are endless and will provide our local artists some amazing opportunities.
5. Sponsorship opportunities to raise funds for its construction and ongoing maintenance are many. For example, if the Brumbies Rugby team would like to sponsor the ‘B’, they will be entitled to project their colours onto the sign at the beginning of the rugby season and/or when home games are occurring.

Other projects that could enhance the sign and allow further participation by other groups:

1. Not all VC recipients have been honoured with a rest stop/area on Remembrance Driveway. With the ANZAC Centenary next year, an opportunity to install an additional rest stop at a site convenient for viewing the CANBERRA sign could be a special project for the NSW and ACT governments to collaborate. This sort of project could raise much needed awareness for the very important Remembrance Driveway initiative.
2. Brand Canberra is seeking ideas to better brand our city. The Canberra sign provides many creative opportunities to do this but that’s for them to decide.
3. To enhance the big Canberra sign, someone suggested the installation of welcoming message boards on the major roads leading into the city could provide a more friendly welcome for visitors and returning locals. For example: We hope…you have…a lovely…time in…our Nation’s Capital…CANBERRA (wording combinations are numerous and could be decided via a Canberra-wide competition).
4. Our major events like Summernats, Floriade, Enlighten, etc can be promoted via projections on the sign.
5. Our multicultural community can be further celebrated and embraced by projecting the colours of their flag onto the sign during their National Days.
6. There are so many ways to use the sign for positive community engagement and promotion…please make some suggestions for consideration.

If you are using the “B” for Brumbies then some of the Fyshwich traders may be interested in one of the “A’s”.

Holden Caulfield5:03 pm 16 Jul 14

Sounds good to me.

MyCanberraSign4:09 pm 16 Jul 14

Masquara said :

Alicia Doherty is an American, she knows that the Hollywood sign actually looks out over Hollywood and is beautifully and meaningfully sited. Having this copycat Canberra sign on New South Wales soil, looking out over New South Wales sheep paddocks, and sited overlooking a pub that was put there specifically to avoid ACT costs & taxes, is just a nonsense, sorry. There’s the embarrassment that it’s a copy – but a banal one, without the deprecating humour of, say, The Rock where you get petrol on your way from Sydney to Brisbane (used to be “Ayer’s Rock”) There’s a further comparison that doesn’t favour this idea. Hollywood is a commerce city. It’s PR Central. Canberra is the seat of government and if we were just a small bush town it could be a laugh as a take-off – but there’s a significant dissonance in this whole idea. It’s an ill-thought-out concept. Did Robyn Archer really promise to promote this idea? Perhaps she was approached at a function, said something polite and nodded over a sherbert! File this one along with the Lake Burley Griffin Hovercraft venture.

Hi all, I’ve tried to respond to all of the concerns raised so far…

Yes, there are some similarities with the Hollywood sign:

1. The sign is located on a hill on the outskirts of town.
2. The letters are HUGE so can be seen by thousands of people on a daily basis via both road and air.
3. The site provides amazing photo opportunities that will help the tourism industry promote Canberra.

There are many differences with the Hollywood sign:

1. The sign will be created through the collaboration of the local community & interested parties, industry experts and government (to clarify, this is NOT a government driven project).
2. The letters will be large but they will be quite elegant and will have well considered design and architectural features that will enhance the site and showcase local artists/craftsmen/draftsmen/students/industry specialists/others.
3. A ‘whole of quarry’ approach will be considered so that the entire site/image is used as effectively as possible to create a unique landmark that people engage with and embrace. For example, mass plantings of the quarry steps could enhance how it looks.
4. A high quality lighting system will be incorporated at night so that the sign becomes a constantly evolving artwork that not only looks attractive but also promotes local communities/activities/events. For example, during Breast Cancer Awareness Week, the sign can be bathed in a pink light. During NAIDOC week, local artists and/or groups associated with the event can be provided an opportunity to design relevant images that can be projected onto the sign. The opportunities for different images are endless and will provide our local artists some amazing opportunities.
5. Sponsorship opportunities to raise funds for its construction and ongoing maintenance are many. For example, if the Brumbies Rugby team would like to sponsor the ‘B’, they will be entitled to project their colours onto the sign at the beginning of the rugby season and/or when home games are occurring.

Other projects that could enhance the sign and allow further participation by other groups:

1. Not all VC recipients have been honoured with a rest stop/area on Remembrance Driveway. With the ANZAC Centenary next year, an opportunity to install an additional rest stop at a site convenient for viewing the CANBERRA sign could be a special project for the NSW and ACT governments to collaborate. This sort of project could raise much needed awareness for the very important Remembrance Driveway initiative.
2. Brand Canberra is seeking ideas to better brand our city. The Canberra sign provides many creative opportunities to do this but that’s for them to decide.
3. To enhance the big Canberra sign, someone suggested the installation of welcoming message boards on the major roads leading into the city could provide a more friendly welcome for visitors and returning locals. For example: We hope…you have…a lovely…time in…our Nation’s Capital…CANBERRA (wording combinations are numerous and could be decided via a Canberra-wide competition).
4. Our major events like Summernats, Floriade, Enlighten, etc can be promoted via projections on the sign.
5. Our multicultural community can be further celebrated and embraced by projecting the colours of their flag onto the sign during their National Days.
6. There are so many ways to use the sign for positive community engagement and promotion…please make some suggestions for consideration.

switch said :

dungfungus said :

Sorry, Justin. I was having “two-bob each way” as to whether you were serious and that is why I added the last paragraph which was a satire on Mayor Rattenbury’s media release to day about the new ultra-green ACTION buses with the EER 6 pollution destroyers.

So how do they compare with trams?

Well, they are self-powered and about as emission free as a diesel can get.
Mind you, the technology “supporting” the harvesting and incineration of diesel particulates requires regular changes of filters which cost thousands of dollars a time.
Given that Rattenbury endorses this type of clean, green diesel power you would think he would consider the same power for the light rail. It would make the cost more than half as the trams would be “wireless”.
Then again, I guess part of the strategy is to sell all that green electricity to themselves via Actew.
Oh, and the buses are going into service now (don’t need rails).

justin heywood said :

martin75 said :

It’s not clever, innovative or interesting. Plus doesn’t telstra tower do exactly what a big CANBERRA would do and better? We should be thinking outside of the square not copying other cities just because we can.

Yes, I agree. Even in the mock-up the sign looks a bit second rate.

Approaching Las Vegas across the desert, one of the casinos (Luxor) has a huge beam of light shining into the sky – you see it before you even see the city.

Something like that from Black Mountain could become something of an icon. It could be Canberra’s ‘Light on the Hill’. (just for fun we could occasionally put a Batman icon in the beam)

Have to be powered ‘sustainably’ of course, but the technology is there. Who knows, we’ve spent money on more ridiculous things.

Was down in Hobart last June, and they had some festival or something on ( skywhale was there ) anyway they had a laser light display thing belting out straight up into the sky.. Looked good when there was a bit of cloud, fog, misty rain; all those things that winter in Hobart has.

dungfungus said :

Sorry, Justin. I was having “two-bob each way” as to whether you were serious and that is why I added the last paragraph which was a satire on Mayor Rattenbury’s media release to day about the new ultra-green ACTION buses with the EER 6 pollution destroyers.

So how do they compare with trams?

justin heywood said :

dungfungus said :

Did you really think about what you have suggested?
Under our rapidly approaching 90% renewable electricity era, any light (I am assuming you are talking about a nightime one) will have to be powered from electricity generated exclusively from wind power and there will be times when none will be available from anywhere on the grid.
The alternative could be a bio-diesel powered generator with Euro Level 6 emissions control (if they can be fitted).

Geez, lighten up a bit there Dungers. It was hardly a serious proposal.

Sorry, Justin. I was having “two-bob each way” as to whether you were serious and that is why I added the last paragraph which was a satire on Mayor Rattenbury’s media release to day about the new ultra-green ACTION buses with the EER 6 pollution destroyers.
I should have taken more heed of your rider about “more stupid things”. Having said that they will probably do something like a green powered floodlit 50 meter tall effigy of Jon Stanhope at the arboretum.

justin heywood1:36 pm 16 Jul 14

dungfungus said :

Did you really think about what you have suggested?
Under our rapidly approaching 90% renewable electricity era, any light (I am assuming you are talking about a nightime one) will have to be powered from electricity generated exclusively from wind power and there will be times when none will be available from anywhere on the grid.
The alternative could be a bio-diesel powered generator with Euro Level 6 emissions control (if they can be fitted).

Geez, lighten up a bit there Dungers. It was hardly a serious proposal.

justin heywood said :

martin75 said :

It’s not clever, innovative or interesting. Plus doesn’t telstra tower do exactly what a big CANBERRA would do and better? We should be thinking outside of the square not copying other cities just because we can.

Yes, I agree. Even in the mock-up the sign looks a bit second rate.

Approaching Las Vegas across the desert, one of the casinos (Luxor) has a huge beam of light shining into the sky – you see it before you even see the city.

Something like that from Black Mountain could become something of an icon. It could be Canberra’s ‘Light on the Hill’. (just for fun we could occasionally put a Batman icon in the beam)

Have to be powered ‘sustainably’ of course, but the technology is there. Who knows, we’ve spent money on more ridiculous things.

“Have to be powered ‘sustainably’ of course, but the technology is there. Who knows, we’ve spent money on more ridiculous things”.
Did you really think about what you have suggested?
Under our rapidly approaching 90% renewable electricity era, any light (I am assuming you are talking about a nightime one) will have to be powered from electricity generated exclusively from wind power and there will be times when none will be available from anywhere on the grid.
The alternative could be a bio-diesel powered generator with Euro Level 6 emissions control (if they can be fitted).

justin heywood10:20 am 16 Jul 14

martin75 said :

It’s not clever, innovative or interesting. Plus doesn’t telstra tower do exactly what a big CANBERRA would do and better? We should be thinking outside of the square not copying other cities just because we can.

Yes, I agree. Even in the mock-up the sign looks a bit second rate.

Approaching Las Vegas across the desert, one of the casinos (Luxor) has a huge beam of light shining into the sky – you see it before you even see the city.

Something like that from Black Mountain could become something of an icon. It could be Canberra’s ‘Light on the Hill’. (just for fun we could occasionally put a Batman icon in the beam)

Have to be powered ‘sustainably’ of course, but the technology is there. Who knows, we’ve spent money on more ridiculous things.

Masquara said :

Pork Hunt said :

Is J-B-H-O-C-K-E-Y what you had in mind?

Or F L A N N E R Y ?

Yes he did say that he found them utterly offensive not unlike EYESORES…. Personally i’d love to see hundreds of them 🙂

It’s not clever, innovative or interesting. Plus doesn’t telstra tower do exactly what a big CANBERRA would do and better? We should be thinking outside of the square not copying other cities just because we can.

screaming banshee6:46 am 16 Jul 14

MyCanberraSign said :

Masquara said :

Alicia Doherty is an American, she knows that the Hollywood sign actually looks out over Hollywood and is beautifully and meaningfully sited. Having this copycat Canberra sign on New South Wales soil, looking out over New South Wales sheep paddocks, and sited overlooking a pub that was put there specifically to avoid ACT costs & taxes, is just a nonsense, sorry. There’s the embarrassment that it’s a copy – but a banal one, without the deprecating humour of, say, The Rock where you get petrol on your way from Sydney to Brisbane (used to be “Ayer’s Rock”) There’s a further comparison that doesn’t favour this idea. Hollywood is a commerce city. It’s PR Central. Canberra is the seat of government and if we were just a small bush town it could be a laugh as a take-off – but there’s a significant dissonance in this whole idea. It’s an ill-thought-out concept. Did Robyn Archer really promise to promote this idea? Perhaps she was approached at a function, said something polite and nodded over a sherbert! File this one along with the Lake Burley Griffin Hovercraft venture.

Robyn Archer actually provided a very positive letter of support for the sign proposal.

Well that’s enough evidence for me….this is a really bad idea!

Masquara said :

A couple of years ago Canberra ratepayers, via ACT Tourism, paid Mamamia online entrepreneur Mia Freedman a fortune to promote Canberra. This evening, on The Project, she joined the Canberra bashing during a piece on this Canberra sign. I guess ACT Tourism didn’t think to write a paragraph into her contract preventing her from sledging us for, say, a good five years, because – who would have thought?

ACT Government think is that it is better to pay out of town celebrities to say great things about Canberra (until the money stops) but when a local nobody suggests something good (for free) it is ignored.

Pork Hunt said :

Is J-B-H-O-C-K-E-Y what you had in mind?

Or F L A N N E R Y ?

HiddenDragon said :

JC said :

MyCanberraSign said :

Josh Mulrine said :

Masquara said :

Is that actually on ACT soil or in NSW?

This is on NSW land. Right on the border as we come into Canberra.

For the longest time now, Visit Canberra have been promoting the regions and districts surrounding Canberra – these sites & businesses are what contribute to making Canberra so wonderful. Part of the quarry hill is actually located in Canberra…

Not that it really matters but according to maps the border more or less follows along the ridge line above and behind where the sign is in the graphic.

The obvious solution, then, is to have eight wind turbines on the ridge line with one large letter on each – which would be very, very Canberra.

Is J-B-H-O-C-K-E-Y what you had in mind?

A couple of years ago Canberra ratepayers, via ACT Tourism, paid Mamamia online entrepreneur Mia Freedman a fortune to promote Canberra. This evening, on The Project, she joined the Canberra bashing during a piece on this Canberra sign. I guess ACT Tourism didn’t think to write a paragraph into her contract preventing her from sledging us for, say, a good five years, because – who would have thought?

HiddenDragon6:42 pm 15 Jul 14

JC said :

MyCanberraSign said :

Josh Mulrine said :

Masquara said :

Is that actually on ACT soil or in NSW?

This is on NSW land. Right on the border as we come into Canberra.

For the longest time now, Visit Canberra have been promoting the regions and districts surrounding Canberra – these sites & businesses are what contribute to making Canberra so wonderful. Part of the quarry hill is actually located in Canberra…

Not that it really matters but according to maps the border more or less follows along the ridge line above and behind where the sign is in the graphic.

The obvious solution, then, is to have eight wind turbines on the ridge line with one large letter on each – which would be very, very Canberra.

tim_c said :

John Moulis said :

Actually, Canberra used to have big signs at the border welcoming people to our fair city. It had the name Canberra in large letters along with the Coat of Arms. Those signs were removed when self government came. Under Follett/Carnell they were replaced with the small Sri Chimnoy signs, those signs were then replaced under Stanhope with the small Ngunnawal Country signs. The design in the quarry is good but the area will have to be upgraded to make it safer for anybody wanting to get near the letters for pics.

Oh, you mean those little “Nigunnawally Land” signs stuck a mile up in the air to welcome approaching aircraft?

I think they are the ones that refer to our sister city status with Nara and all that feel good nonsense?
Why is it “sister” and not “brother”?
Perhaps it should be “sibling city”.

John Moulis said :

Actually, Canberra used to have big signs at the border welcoming people to our fair city. It had the name Canberra in large letters along with the Coat of Arms. Those signs were removed when self government came. Under Follett/Carnell they were replaced with the small Sri Chimnoy signs, those signs were then replaced under Stanhope with the small Ngunnawal Country signs. The design in the quarry is good but the area will have to be upgraded to make it safer for anybody wanting to get near the letters for pics.

Oh, you mean those little “Nigunnawally Land” signs stuck a mile up in the air to welcome approaching aircraft?

Holden Caulfield3:26 pm 15 Jul 14

pajs said :

I’ve always liked the old ‘Starlight’ sign. A big, refurbished version of that would be good.

We have a winner! That would be cool.

qbninthecity2:59 pm 15 Jul 14

switch said :

qbninthecity said :

That sign above isn’t in the official Canberra font.

http://the-riotact.com/canberras-very-own-font-revealed/118538

Yeah, but if it was in the the official “CBR” font, they’d have to write CANBERRA underneath it anyway.

I was actually talking about the font that came about from the Canberra Centenary Typeface Design Competition not the Brand Canberra aka CBR logo

I’ve always liked the old ‘Starlight’ sign. A big, refurbished version of that would be good.

Holden Caulfield12:53 pm 15 Jul 14

Kinda makes sense to me if the sign is in NSW, after all the ACT was once a slice of NSW too.

putting it in NSW is right up with ACT Govt’s agenda of “unsightly things” not being within their borders – now if it could spin and generate power they’d have a double win!

JC said :

MyCanberraSign said :

Josh Mulrine said :

Masquara said :

Is that actually on ACT soil or in NSW?

This is on NSW land. Right on the border as we come into Canberra.

For the longest time now, Visit Canberra have been promoting the regions and districts surrounding Canberra – these sites & businesses are what contribute to making Canberra so wonderful. Part of the quarry hill is actually located in Canberra…

Not that it really matters but according to maps the border more or less follows along the ridge line above and behind where the sign is in the graphic.

The sign site is in NSW so an EIS will be necessary and only NSW people can have a say.
It is a real nimby-whistle.

MyCanberraSign said :

Josh Mulrine said :

Masquara said :

Is that actually on ACT soil or in NSW?

This is on NSW land. Right on the border as we come into Canberra.

For the longest time now, Visit Canberra have been promoting the regions and districts surrounding Canberra – these sites & businesses are what contribute to making Canberra so wonderful. Part of the quarry hill is actually located in Canberra…

Not that it really matters but according to maps the border more or less follows along the ridge line above and behind where the sign is in the graphic.

MyCanberraSign9:32 pm 14 Jul 14

Josh Mulrine said :

Masquara said :

Is that actually on ACT soil or in NSW?

This is on NSW land. Right on the border as we come into Canberra.

For the longest time now, Visit Canberra have been promoting the regions and districts surrounding Canberra – these sites & businesses are what contribute to making Canberra so wonderful. Part of the quarry hill is actually located in Canberra…

MyCanberraSign9:25 pm 14 Jul 14

Masquara said :

Alicia Doherty is an American, she knows that the Hollywood sign actually looks out over Hollywood and is beautifully and meaningfully sited. Having this copycat Canberra sign on New South Wales soil, looking out over New South Wales sheep paddocks, and sited overlooking a pub that was put there specifically to avoid ACT costs & taxes, is just a nonsense, sorry. There’s the embarrassment that it’s a copy – but a banal one, without the deprecating humour of, say, The Rock where you get petrol on your way from Sydney to Brisbane (used to be “Ayer’s Rock”) There’s a further comparison that doesn’t favour this idea. Hollywood is a commerce city. It’s PR Central. Canberra is the seat of government and if we were just a small bush town it could be a laugh as a take-off – but there’s a significant dissonance in this whole idea. It’s an ill-thought-out concept. Did Robyn Archer really promise to promote this idea? Perhaps she was approached at a function, said something polite and nodded over a sherbert! File this one along with the Lake Burley Griffin Hovercraft venture.

Robyn Archer actually provided a very positive letter of support for the sign proposal.

qbninthecity said :

That sign above isn’t in the official Canberra font.

http://the-riotact.com/canberras-very-own-font-revealed/118538

Yeah, but if it was in the the official “CBR” font, they’d have to write CANBERRA underneath it anyway.

How_Canberran7:09 pm 14 Jul 14

How Canberran.

Josh Mulrine6:43 pm 14 Jul 14

Masquara said :

Is that actually on ACT soil or in NSW?

This is on NSW land. Right on the border as we come into Canberra.

Alicia Doherty is an American, she knows that the Hollywood sign actually looks out over Hollywood and is beautifully and meaningfully sited. Having this copycat Canberra sign on New South Wales soil, looking out over New South Wales sheep paddocks, and sited overlooking a pub that was put there specifically to avoid ACT costs & taxes, is just a nonsense, sorry. There’s the embarrassment that it’s a copy – but a banal one, without the deprecating humour of, say, The Rock where you get petrol on your way from Sydney to Brisbane (used to be “Ayer’s Rock”) There’s a further comparison that doesn’t favour this idea. Hollywood is a commerce city. It’s PR Central. Canberra is the seat of government and if we were just a small bush town it could be a laugh as a take-off – but there’s a significant dissonance in this whole idea. It’s an ill-thought-out concept. Did Robyn Archer really promise to promote this idea? Perhaps she was approached at a function, said something polite and nodded over a sherbert! File this one along with the Lake Burley Griffin Hovercraft venture.

Masquara said :

Is that actually on ACT soil or in NSW?

It actually looks like solid quarry rock.

Is that actually on ACT soil or in NSW?

JessicaGlitter2:51 pm 14 Jul 14

The Guide relates that the words “Share and Enjoy” were displayed in illuminated letters three miles high near the Sirius Cybernetics Complaints Division, until their weight caused them to collapse through the underground offices of many young executives. The upper half of the sign that now protrudes translates in the local tongue as “Go stick your head in a pig”, and is lit up only for special celebrations.

Captain RAAF2:19 pm 14 Jul 14

“I’m a big advocate for Canberra being better known as a global capital and I do believe this will generate a lot of worldwide press…..”

What planet is this bloke on? Yeah mate, I can just see Reuters, FOX, etc etc paused to launch stories all over the world on this, I can see it now “This just in, boring city tries too hard, remains boring”

VYBerlinaV8_is_back1:44 pm 14 Jul 14

Lacks originality and no-one would care anyway. Waste of money.

That is NSW land! that aside, dislike the idea, lets just be Canberra and do what we do. We have lane ways with cafes and bars in them and no don’t say there so Melbourne like! there Canberra like, we have enlightened festival its ours its not a rip off of Vivid! point me in the direction of Questacon or the National library in Sydney. Lets just be Canberra!

rosscoact said :

I like the idea

Me too. And it’s a 2-fer … it’s interesting and worthwhile in its own right, and it covers up/makes use of that great big mining scar.

The sign says it all.

Canberra – bold and slightly crooked.

Actually, Canberra used to have big signs at the border welcoming people to our fair city. It had the name Canberra in large letters along with the Coat of Arms. Those signs were removed when self government came. Under Follett/Carnell they were replaced with the small Sri Chimnoy signs, those signs were then replaced under Stanhope with the small Ngunnawal Country signs. The design in the quarry is good but the area will have to be upgraded to make it safer for anybody wanting to get near the letters for pics.

qbninthecity10:54 am 14 Jul 14

That sign above isn’t in the official Canberra font.

http://the-riotact.com/canberras-very-own-font-revealed/118538

Holden Caulfield10:40 am 14 Jul 14

Maya123 said :

Holden Caulfield said :

Can the sign be in anything other than Arial, please!

(And, not Comic Sans, obviously.)

I would prefer a sans-serif style font as it keeps it plainer. The font used in the illustration is a plain sans-serif font. What font would you prefer? You only said what you didn’t want, but what are your preferences?

The image depicted is Arial, which is essentially a knock-off of Helvetica. So just do it properly and use Helvetica.

Also, the medium-weight font used to support the CBR brand would work well: http://www.brandcanberra.com.au/explore/

It’s a fun idea. Canberra needs more fun.

Holden Caulfield said :

Can the sign be in anything other than Arial, please!

(And, not Comic Sans, obviously.)

I would prefer a sans-serif style font as it keeps it plainer. The font used in the illustration is a plain sans-serif font. What font would you prefer? You only said what you didn’t want, but what are your preferences?

Holden Caulfield said :

Can the sign be in anything other than Arial, please!

(And, not Comic Sans, obviously.)

Windings it is!!!

Just the letters (as depicted) would be sufficient. No need to tart it up.

Why not. It will be better than the Skywhale! Although that is not a very lofty standard!

Holden Caulfield9:39 am 14 Jul 14

Can the sign be in anything other than Arial, please!

(And, not Comic Sans, obviously.)

On the bed of Lake George. Many, many, stories tall. Maybe up on giant legs too, like an oil platform. With blinky lights. Would give Joe Hockey something to admire on his drives by.

I like the idea

Daily Digest

Want the best Canberra news delivered daily? Every day we package the most popular Riotact stories and send them straight to your inbox. Sign-up now for trusted local news that will never be behind a paywall.

By submitting your email address you are agreeing to Region Group's terms and conditions and privacy policy.