7 December 2008

Truth in advertising?

| johnboy
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One of the stranger (or perhaps more depressingly predictable) things about Canberra is our rules on advertising signage. You can’t put up a billboard. But if you can write it with flowers and pay off the Government you can still advertise on prime real estate down Northbourne Avenue. Assuming, that is, your outfit is adjudged sufficiently worthy.

Babscott1 sent in this one from the foot of Vernon Circle a few months ago. She thought it a profound statement on Canberra’s heart.

Go on, have a snigger. You were probably going to hell anyway.

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and ian dury, of course, was spasticus autisticus. (he was also a clever trevor and would hit you with ‘is rhythym stick if you gave him a hard time)

It seems that many people with CP actually refer to themselves as spastics. I remember that the comedian Steady Eddie used the term constantly and said he wasn’t offended by it.

I imagine that they have considered a name change but figure widespread brand awareness for the wrong reason might be better then obscurity.

Hehehe that is certified gold.

It all depends how it’s used right? The difficulty for the spastic centre, like all organisations, would eb to then find at new name that replected wehat it did. Yes, it caters pretty much only to those with cerebral pasly, who aren’t all of the spastic CP type.. but there are other groups in there who get services depending on the resourses avaiable…

Next time the ‘planters’ need to position the flowers so that, although the flower bed is on a slope, the letters appear vertical; like the advertising banners ‘painted’ onto AFL grounds.

Instant Mash6:59 pm 07 Dec 08

Looking forward to it haha!

hehehehehehehehehe

see you all in hell 😉

Location, location, location!

Instant Mash6:10 pm 07 Dec 08

Placement is everything…

I would have thought the same. I appears to depend on wether you follow the US or UK understanding of the word Spastic

I’ve often wondered why they still use the name Spastic Centre. Surely the word “spastic” is politically incorrect nowadays, a bit like the word “abo”.

Funniest thing I’ve seen all month!

Thanks JB!

I have always wished I have a few thousand dollars to slip the guys who plant the bulbs so that something unauthorised sprouts…

This is probably better then anything I could have come up with though. See you in hell PB, maybe we could meet up there for a drink?

I hope they leave that exact flower sign up when they move the Legislative Assembly behind it.

I love calling a spade a spade, and I love flower writing.

Yes, I guess it’s a good thing… but I wish they’d be a little more careful about what gets written. ‘Spastic Centre’ is just a little too close to the truth in Civic…

But they’re all charity or non-profit organisations, right? And what they’re engaging in is a community-sponsored “brand awareness” campaign, probably at a lower cash cost than traditional billboard advertising would allow, while adding a bit of colour to the city. I think it’s a good thing.

Pommy bastard10:55 am 07 Dec 08

Thanks Johnboy…

And yes, I’ve got a first class, one way, all expenses paid, champagne quality, trip to hell following viewing of the image.

*sigh*. If you insist.

Pommy bastard10:16 am 07 Dec 08

It would help if the image was visible. 😉

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