Billboard Blunder: A billboard meant to scold litterbugs in San Jose ends up in San Francisco’s Excelsior District, causing confusion. Find out how this geographic mix-up happened.
In the world of billboards, sometimes even the messages get lost. Case in point: a San Jose anti-littering billboard that took a detour to San Francisco’s Excelsior District. The mix-up raised eyebrows and prompted questions about its odd placement. Was it a deliberate choice or an advertising agency blunder?
Mission Local editor Joe Eskenazi shared a photo of the misplaced ad, sparking a social media puzzle about why it was so far from its intended audience. The billboard was situated near San Jose Avenue at Mission and Trumbull Street, creating geographic dissonance.
SFGATE decided to investigate and unearthed the truth behind this curious situation. It turns out that it was indeed a mistake, as confirmed by Daniel Lazo, the public information manager for San Jose’s Parks, Recreation & Neighborhood Services Department. The department reached out to the vendor, and the PSA in San Francisco will be taken down.
Clear Channel, the company operating the billboard, remained silent on the matter at the time of this report. However, a vigilant resident captured an image of what seemed to be a new ad, promoting BeautifySJ. This initiative focuses on cleaning up San Jose, combating illegal dumping and graffiti, and regularly collecting trash from local encampments. Despite the mix-up, it appears that the message of beautification remains a shared goal in both cities.
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