This tool-mobile has been rolling around Toronto for the last few weeks, but I was finally able to get a shot of it by the Toronto Reference Library yesterday afternoon. It’s an ad for an unnamed mobile company that has two well-fed actors inside pretending to be vikings while squatting in a sea of dirty orange balls. They pantomime a bit, puff up their chests and make gestures to each other. How much joy and entertainment do they bring to side-walking and car-driving Torontonians? Not much, I would guess, based on another experience with this vehicle at the corner of Yonge and College the other day, where the idling truck was stopped in front of people waiting for the streetcar. The vikings swatted their orange balls at commuters with their paddles like truculent drunken fratboys. It’s times like this one might wish the snow hadn’t all melted away. In lieu of snowballs, perhaps those who find their behavior objectionable can use their fingers to give them a digital, albeit un-Torontonian, salute if they pass you by.
29 comments
Has there been any news about banning trucks that drive around all day advertising? The idea was being paddled around last year, IIRC.
It can’t be good for carbon dioxide emissions.
A year or two ago there were ones with scantily-clad sunbathers advertising some sunny tourist destination in the dead of winter. Interesting way to advertise, but rather inconsiderate of public resources.
I agree; this is an abhorrent form of advertising. How do we get this stopped?
Shawn, can we name the company? It should be a simple statement of fact as to the name on the truck.
Can’t we just do what the Vikings would have done, which is smash and burn the truck?
The rolled down Queen’s Quay on the weekend. A lot of customers at the Starbucks there were lessed than pleased by the actions they were doing.
Ben and David: In Februrary 2007, the Licensing and Standards Committee  at the behest of the TPSC  directed staff to craft a bylaw banning billboard trucks, with a report to come back to the committee in “winter 2007.” It never came back, and I’ve learned that staff’s intention is to bring it in at the same time as the new signs by-law, which should be coming to Council for final approval about a year from now.
make sure the company paying for this depletist advertising campaign is aware how we (the internet) feel about this form of adversiting, specifically with respect to sustainability and conservation of both resources and public infrastructure.
….and egg the truck.
The company is Solo. I blurred out the name just to appease the usual comments that it gives more publicity. I think it works either way, bad, good. Meh (the publicity, that is — this campaign, not so much, except from a very narrow ad industry POV perhaps).
What are they advertising? I don’t get it. Vikings? Or is their product invisible and they’re only trying to get attention through this unrelated stunt?
In Las Vegas they do this sort of advertising by truck, but it’s to sell hookers (or “escort services”), not phone services. Canada, eh? So tame! 🙂 Seriously, though: I agree with you guys that this is a stupid waste of gas.
It’s amazing that someone actually thought this was a good idea. I’d like to think it proves why many Marketing VPs don’t have much shelf life. I’d also like to believe that David Miller isn’t related to Pinnochio.
While it seemed clever at first, I realized how insanely stupid an idea it was.
The very people solo target with their advertisements are the same people who tend to get kind of pissed off when companies do this sort of thing.
“Spam! Spam! Spam! Spam! ”
Bloody vikings.
I hate to rain on everyone’s truck advertising bashing parade, but these advertisers actually buy carbon credits so these advertisements have a negative carbon footprint. (something I am sure the majority of those who made the above comments have done) Not that I fully agree with Mobile advertising, but what you guys are saying… just isn’t true. I think this kind of stunt is something that is fun, and catches peoples attention… unlike a boring newspaper ad (which will end up in the trash anyway.) So, while you guys sip your Starbucks coffee (made from beans where rainforests used to be!) I hope you can break free from your hypocritical self indulgence and appreciate something bold and different.
Ah yes, I forgot about the hypocritical self indulgence factor that prohibits criticism of stupid things. Thank you Bill for sage words from what I can only assume is an industry insider position. Thank you for making the varied comments above suddenly so black and white.
how is it that this truck is able to ride around toronto/scarborough all day…
The cops should technically be stopping them for one it is very unsafe for the passengers in the back to be there it’s just glass all around them with balls and # 1 thing is no seatbelts – I thought that this alone would ban them….
Hey Bill Hoskin, thank you for a very good example of how carbon offsets are bullshit and do more harm than good because they’re used by people to justify wasteful and unnecessary actions.
Carbon credits or no, they’re still generating smog and soot in the heart of the city for no particular reason. There’s more to auto exhaust than just CO2.
They used to do this in Boston, but with trailers.
that’s me: They’re in Scarborough? Now that’s illegal. Scarborough still has a law on the books banning billboard trucks (Section 2.4.2(l)(b) of former City of Scarborough By-law No. 22980):
The next time you see them in Scarborough, call up Bill Blakes, the manager of investigations for Municipal Licensing and Standards’ Scarborough District office, at 416-396-8221.
But the wall of ads at Dundas square is ok?
I think I saw a young man handing out flyers on the corner of Queen and Spadina at lunch for his new restaurant. He should obviously be hauled off to jail or fined for wasting that precious paper that his ad was printed on. Not to mention the gas he wasted driving to the corner.
As for the Solo truck being in Scarborough, someone should call the swat team to take it out with a laser guided rocket for such a flagrant violation of the law. Maybe Bill Blakes could head that up.. Who do these evil people think they are really? We can’t let them get away with it.
Seriously though…no one should visit that young man on the corners restaurant or buy a Solo phone for trying to get their message out there. Complete jerks… both of them.
Who said don’t buy Solo? It’s really one way or the other for you? No middle ground?
They could buy as many carbon credits as they want — they’re still getting in the way of everyone else trying to actually go somewhere.
i had great chuckles on Sat. night, watching as this behemoth crawled along Queen west. Since it was a cool damp night out, the windows on the box fogged up completely, making it really hard to discern if it was two frat boy vikings splashing toy balls at each other with paddles, or large sedated boars in a vat of oranges prodding each other with lances. it’s surprising it’s a form of ‘work’ to sit in a mobile box for hours on a Saturday night. I’m not sure if I should feel more sorry for them, or that poor dude who sits on top of the Cadbury chocolate bar in Dundas Square 24/7
I agree with Bill Hoskin.
A given vehicle has just as much right to be on the road as any other vehicle. The decision to make a driving trip is made by the driver according to his subjective assessment of the importance of the drive vs. any other activity he may wish to engage in during the same time frame. For example, I like to cruise my V-8 Camaro on occasion; no one has a right to decide that I don’t “need” to drive it, just as I don’t have any business judging whether you “need” to drive to work today, or use a car to shop for a greeting card (is a bereavement card better than a “thinking of you” card?), etc.
Steve
Happy gridlock Steve. I hope the government doesn’t try any solutions because it might infringe on some “right to do something”.
Hey I missed this ballsytorial. Looks/sounds more interesting than 99% of the crap that occurs in Toronto.
You jokers have to be kidding. These companies have done their homework, this advertising works. Not only that it works very well. For every one of you bashing there are 10 customers calling or visiting websites.
You can’t stop the advertising or you would have to stop the tractor trailers from advertising other companies like McDonald’s on their sides.
Smartest person on the board said it best, they buy carbon credits – isn’t this what you want people to do “be responsible”. They have a company to run, employees who depend on the wages – yet when they do the responsible thing you still judge and bash.
Sad to see people who appear to be intelligent wasting their time. If you don’t like the ad, don’t buy their product – great idea, except every tele comm. company out there is using this form of advertising. So give up your cell phones and home phones, and internet – that’s your solution.
Get with the times, these companies have.
What’s next – ban newspapers because the advertisers waste paper, billboards and electronic signs which cause problems in the summer with brown outs through the city.
…….zzzzzzzzzzzzzz…. you people are very bored to think that this subject is even important.