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TUESDAY, JULY 16, 2024
A Victorian-style duplex that is more than a century old was painted in neon colors for a telecom company ad in Montreal, Canada, earlier this month. However, city officials say that the owner has violated city bylaws for the hot pink, lime green, purple, teal and orange paint job.
According to reports, a Toronto-based advertising firm transformed the building into an ad for internet provider Koodo by changing the color scheme and including a sign on the façade reading, “There’s joy under this roof. Koodo Internet.” However, as of July 4, the sign was no longer present.
City Spokesman Simon Charron said the publicity stunt wasn't authorized and violates city bylaws.
“It is important to note that town-planning regulations prohibit painting brick on the exterior facade of the majority of buildings,” he said. “Modifications made to heritage buildings are also strictly regulated. In addition, rules govern the place of advertising in the urban landscape.”
Charron added the city will send inspectors to the home and reportedly issue a notice of violation to the owner.
City of Montreal says painting a house as an ad for Koodo is against the ruleshttps://t.co/HGEExDIelj pic.twitter.com/sfAP5BKfOy
— CP24 (@CP24) July 6, 2024
A spokesperson for one of the companies behind the ad told The Canadian Press that the campaign was led by Toronto-based firm Camp Jefferson and intends to “create a memorable and cheerful experience for the community.”
“Before launching this activation, we asked for and followed the guidance and instructions provided to us by a representative of the City of Montreal,” wrote Isabelle Bonin of Plus Company, which collaborated on the campaign.
“As per our original plan, we will restore the house to its original condition on July 8 and are continuing to comply with the City of Montreal’s rules and regulations.”
“The issue is not the creativity of the color choices themselves, but how they are used to circumvent the City of Montreal advertising regulations,” wrote Heritage Montreal in an email.
The organization said that applying certain paints to masonry can cause damage over time, and that removing or repainting them can be expensive and complicated.
“Therefore, while creative color choices can enhance aesthetics, it is critical to balance creativity with code compliance and consider the long-term impact on building materials,” they continued.
Tagged categories: Aesthetics; Architecture; Color; Color + Design; Commercial / Architectural; Design; Government; Historic Structures; Marketing; Violations
