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Jun 15, 2006 11:33 am US/Central
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You Could Decide Where To Eat Off Of Sidewalk Ads
by David Schechter
Minneapolis (WCCO) ―
A new advertising campaign that borders on graffiti is grabbing some attention in Minneapolis.
Full color ads for NBA City Restaurant look like they're painted onto the sidewalk. But you can't legally paint on a sidewalk in Minneapolis, can you?
"We don't use any paint. It's a spray-on, non-toxic chalk," said the restaurant's General Manager John Sandwick.
Some people don't know NBA City exists inside the Target Center. Others assume it's only open on game day.
So throughout the month of June the restaurant is using the sidewalk chalk ads to build its lunch and happy hour business.
Sandwick says the campaign is working.
"It seems to be driving people in," he said. "It's creating a buzz. People are talking about it."
A Minneapolis ad firm, Olson and Company, is behind the idea. Founder John Olson says that everyday people are overwhelmed with advertising messages.
"The old method was to hit people over the head as many times as you could," said Olson. "The new method is to talk to them in a language that they want to listen to."
The chalk is temporary and will always be washed away by the next rainfall.
But Sandwick says that hasn't stopped a few people from complaining.
"Obviously our competition probably doesn't appreciate it much because they didn't think of it first," he said.
Olson and Company claims that the sidewalk chalk is legal.
However, the City of Minneapolis says sidewalk chalk, in general, is considered graffiti and is therefore illegal. But when it comes to chalk drawings, police typically look the other way.
So, without a major complaint, NBA City is in the clear.
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