Commercial advertising on public sidewalks?

[Montague]

On my walk down Fountain yesterday, I discovered business advertising written in chalk

on the sidewalk at the the Prospect and College intersections. Both were combined ads

for Bobby J's and RentGR.com.

Maybe I'm getting old, but defacing the public sidewalk is just not OK. Yes, I know it's temporary,

but it looks like hell. And before anyone accuses me of turning conservative, I do think that kids

writing on the sidewalk is harmless fun.

I wonder who the perp is? Local advertising intern trying to be a bit too clever? Misguided

employee of one of the businesses? Any guesses?

John

[GR_Urbanist]

As long as it's tasteful and able to be washed off, then it shouldn't be too big a deal. It's pretty common in many cities for people to use the sidewalks for that type of thing.

[Veloise]

One of the West Coast Coffee folks apparently does sidewalk chalk art on Monroe Center every morning. During the funeral days, she moved down the street and provided a tribute to Koz out front of GRPD.

[GR1]

I think that a restaurant or business downtown advertising in chalk on the sidewalk is fine, and sometimes even fun. As long as the chalk is outside their business, or simply pointing the way toward it. I love following the coffee cups to west coast coffee.

However, rentgr?? That's a little weird. I mean...are you going to follow the chalk arrows to rent an apartment?

[Allison Slater]

I also liked the chalk advertisements.. West Coast Coffee especially. I don't see how it's much different from Chicago where they project advertisements onto the sidewalk via lights, just this lasts all day and isn't as expensive.

[snoogit]

It's called "character" something that the city needs more of sometimes

As long as its on a sidewalk, you can symbolically voice your displeasure at the advert by stomping on the ad, and relieve stress at the same time!