COMMUNITY ADVERTISING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17330, 29 November 1919, Page 12

COMMUNITY ADVERTISING.

j ELECTRIC SIGN AND CLOCK. ! SYMONDS STREET ENTERPRISE. ! The first community advertising scheme to be adopted in New Zealand was brought under public notice last evening, , when an electric sign and clock, erected ,at the corner of Symonds Street and j Khyher Pass Road by a number of tradesI people in business at the top of tho forI mer thoroughfare, was formally opened by the Hon. Arthur M. Myers. The event attracted a very large number of spectators. I .u The diameter of the clock, which is ' the one that was impoiled for the Auckland Exhioition of ma, is sft. It is placed in the centre of the electric sign, which is u? V ? l in ' shape, 42ft in ien«tn and oOft high. Along the top of the oval is the > device: "Shop top o' Symonds Street. Embodied in the sign itself are the words: ".Saves money, fares, .and time. Over 600 lamps have been employed in picking out the lettering am. : the clock, and the colours are red, white : blue, and green. The construction and erection of the whole contrivance was carried out by Chandler and Co., Lim.U. The cost of the erection and maintenance is being borne by 28 Svmonds Street hrms. In performing Jhe opening ceremony Mr. Myers, who spoke from a motor-car in the vicinity, said the occasion markeo a new era in the history of the local' .as well as of the city. Now that another I outlet from the city on the eastern side . was an accomplished fact, there was no j doubt there would be a large increase ' in the traffic, and consequently in the trade, of that particular locality. It was meet that Auckland East should lead the way in erecting the first community sign ; and clock "south of the line. When the . Grafton bridge was constructed the span I was then the largest concrete span in I the world. This was an age of scientific advertising and of decentralisation. Queen Street was congested, and, though it was a credit to the Dominion as a street it could not do all the business of the city. He congratulated the enterprising tradesmen of Symonds Street ; on catering as they were doing for trade. They believed they had the goods, "but it was useless having the goods unless they attracted purchasers. The erection of this sign and clock showed that they were up-to-date and progressive. He hoped their fullest expectations would be realised by an enormous resultant increase I in business. I Mr. Myers then gave /he signal for the switch connecting with the electric Lights to be turned on, and immediately the clock and the sign in*which it is embodied blazed out against the sky. The crowd of onlookers applauded loudly. The vari-coloured lights made & pretty spectacle, and the effect was heightened by the alternate brillinnce and darkness of the spares occupied by the words in the sign. The hunch of the c]-"~k marked the hour of 8.15 when the illumination I was started. During the remainder of ! the evening the new brilliancy was the , cynosure of many pairs of eyes.