Indianapolis has officially earned the title Impossibility City: It Can’t Happen Here. Legal representatives in the city told tourism officials in Louisville to leave their laser projector in the River City when they are coming up to promote Louisville and the Cardinals during the NCAA tournament happening right now (Go Cards). Indy lawyers cited an anti-advertising ordinance that prohibited such a display. We think they couldn’t handle the prospects of Louisville beamed large on downtown buildings.
This four-color laser display that could display Cardinal and Possibility City logos as well as written messages suggested by visitors would have been quite a sight and a great supplement to the NCAA Tournament going on in Indy. While it is promoting Louisville and the Cardinals, we think this display shows the creativity local promoters are using to get the word about Louisville out. It’s more public art than advertising. And it’s interactive. But Impossibility Indy seems not to be able to handle it.
According to the Indianapolis Star, Teri Kendrick, the city of Indianapolis prosecutor, was sympathetic but also realistic. “Would we in the city of Indianapolis plan on doing something like this in another city first without checking the regulations? I would hope not.” Would Indy really even try to attempt something this creative? Wouldn’t their “realism” get in the way? Sometimes you’ve just got to charge ahead. We applaud the efforts of the Possibility City promoters.
The good news is the show will now occur in Downtown Louisville for all of us to see (at least if we’re passing by 4th Street Live). The Possibility City crew along with representatives from local advertising firm Red7e have already started beaming the laser projector (we’re not sure on what yet) and will continue through the U of L game and on into the night. Your loss Indianapolis. Possibility City still plans to take the show on the road to other cities in coming months.
I thought it would have been great "guerrilla marketing" in the grand tradition of college sports game day pranks. Too bad the folks in Indy don't have a sense of humor and are so closed minded. You can believe that if the Colts or a similar organization wanted to do this, a permit would have been hand delivered on an expedited basis.
I am from Indy, and I have mixed feelings about the decision. I would have been on board with the ville had the logo or message been only for the school. It was not. It was also for the city. As a resident, I do not want the city to become advertisement. Drop the possibility city part, and you have my support. It really would have been cool to give each school a section to do a show, but no advertisements.
There is a reason you don’t hear people going to Indianapolis for their art scene. And that’s fine for them. They have professional football, which I don’t care for, but it seems to most happy enough.