Promotional graffiti ‘illegal’
The Sand Francisco City Attorney is not too happy with the graffiti campaign for Justin Bieber’s new album.
|||San Francisco - For the San Francisco Beliebers, a graffiti campaign for their idol's new album would have been a delight. However, the city's attorney is not among the pop star's fans.
Graffiti on the pavements in white block typeface as part of a campaign to promote the album reads: “Justin Bieber, Purpose #Nov13.” While the graffiti was washed away in other cities, in San Francisco, weeks later, it is still on pavements in neighbourhoods including Haight-Ashbury.
In a letter to Universal Music Group this week, San Francisco attorney Dennis Herrera demanded the record label's co-operation in determining who was responsible. “This prohibited marketing illegally exploits our city's walkable neighbourhoods and robust tourism, intentionally creates visual distractions that pose risks to pedestrians on busy rights of way, and tells our youth that like-minded lawlessness and contempt for public property are condoned,” wrote Mr Herrera.
He noted that the spray paint had not washed away despite several rainstorms. Mr Herrera warned Universal Music that the city could pursue penalties of up to $2,500 (about R39 000) for each violation, as well as restitution fees and costs. “I take the illegal graffiti marketed for Bieber's album seriously,” said Mr Herrera, “and I will aggressively pursue all available penalties and costs from those responsible.”
Several companies have paid tens of thousands of dollars to the city for the removal of similar marketing campaigns on city property.
In 2013, Bieber was charged with defacing a building in Rio de Janiero after marking a hotel wall with the graffiti “Beliebers4Life”. The pop star was said to have permission to “tag” another location, but had decided to deface a different wall to avoid over-enthusiastic fans.
The Independent