Call this the opening shot in what's sure to be a pricey ad campaign this fall by new-arena supporters of the November ballot measure to hike Sacramento County's sales tax.
Going up next week near Sacramento's Land Park and Curtis Park are two billboards showing people flocking to a new sports facility in a glitzy, fully developed railyard north of downtown.
"It's a vision of what Sacramento can become," says Doug Elmets, one of the marketing experts hired by the Yes on Q & R backers, which include the Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Sacramento Partnership.
The rendering by local artist Sean Greenfield shows restaurants, condos, office towers and a stylized arena -- with swarms of people enjoying downtown nightlife, part of what promoters envision for the area within the next decade. Premiering the "pro" side's campaign slogan, the billboard will be topped by the words "Renew, Rebuild, Revitalize."
Another 13 identical billboards could go up across town in the next few weeks, Elmets says, followed by direct mail and advertising from the Yes on Q & R team. Its focus clearly is on railyard revitalization.
But for those of us who think a new arena (and keeping an NBA franchise) is vital to Sacramento's continuing emergence as a big-league entertainment center and business launching pad, the hope is that future ads have a sharper bite.
Showing the possibilities for a vibrant, new downtown neighborhood is nice. But the billboard we want to see is one showing the certain consequence of a "no" vote in November: a big Sacramento Kings moving van quickly leaving town.
http://www.sacbee.com/content/business/story/14312006p-15214670c.html
Going up next week near Sacramento's Land Park and Curtis Park are two billboards showing people flocking to a new sports facility in a glitzy, fully developed railyard north of downtown.
"It's a vision of what Sacramento can become," says Doug Elmets, one of the marketing experts hired by the Yes on Q & R backers, which include the Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Sacramento Partnership.
The rendering by local artist Sean Greenfield shows restaurants, condos, office towers and a stylized arena -- with swarms of people enjoying downtown nightlife, part of what promoters envision for the area within the next decade. Premiering the "pro" side's campaign slogan, the billboard will be topped by the words "Renew, Rebuild, Revitalize."
Another 13 identical billboards could go up across town in the next few weeks, Elmets says, followed by direct mail and advertising from the Yes on Q & R team. Its focus clearly is on railyard revitalization.
But for those of us who think a new arena (and keeping an NBA franchise) is vital to Sacramento's continuing emergence as a big-league entertainment center and business launching pad, the hope is that future ads have a sharper bite.
Showing the possibilities for a vibrant, new downtown neighborhood is nice. But the billboard we want to see is one showing the certain consequence of a "no" vote in November: a big Sacramento Kings moving van quickly leaving town.
http://www.sacbee.com/content/business/story/14312006p-15214670c.html
