Spamming Google Maps

An anonymous reader writes "Google organized a flyover of Sydney, Australia last Friday for Australia Day. The images taken on the day will be posted to Google Maps in a few weeks. A number of dotcoms spent hours making huge signs that would be visible from the air. It will be interesting to see whether Google will repeat the event in other cities. If they do, get prepared early. What sign would you make?"

Maybe you should...

[mdobossy]

... the park ranger stopped by, but was nice and "turned a blind eye". They were there for the "event", and were not $800 out of pocket.

But yes, a homeless man did help them pick up.. AFTER the event.

Re:Bullseye

[ortholattice]

If you look at the roof of the Target store in College Point, NY, there's a huge logo. Not such a good idea.

For those too lazy to look it up: Target store in College Point, NY [google.com]

new spin on old news

[thekm]

Many companies have invested a lot of money/effort into putting signs on the rooftops of warehouses and large buildings. This is just that there's a "new" reason to put a sign on the roof, one that has companies without warehouses wanting to do it (like a .com). Sydney's a great example... take a train from western sydney into the city, and you'll pass a half dozen places with truly enormous signs on their rooftops. Arnotts is one of them.

...these signs have been around for many decades. My father (a signwriter) explained them to me on my very first trip into sydney as a kid. He actually made one for a tractor parts distributor that had a huge shed under a flight path (regaled me with how interesting it was to create such a big layout accurately). So, it's certainly not time now to be getting all bent out of shape because there's just one more reason to make signs for a higher viewpoint.

When the pics finally make it up to google maps, you'll see all the signs that have preempted this article by probably more than my life time. Anyone mad about rooftops becoming big billboards... you'll need to find something actually "new" to whinge about :)

Re:None

[Quixote]

From Google's page [google.com] on the event:

So when you see the Google branded plane flying overhead this January 26th, hoist a sign, arrange your family into a fun formation or just get a bunch of friends together to wave.

If you want to put the blame somewhere, put it on Google. They're the ones spamming the Internet with ads everywhere (Google AdSense anyone?).

Re:Shocked at the negative comments

[wombert]

Well, except it wasn't their own land. From the write-up, it sounds like they were in a public park (and almost got kicked out, but for a park ranger who decided to let it slide). So anyone looking up a map to that park gets to see their ad.

Re:None

[Hrodvitnir]

"I'm wondering how long it will be until all Americans are legally forced to tattoo some product to themselves in a visible area."

Don't be silly. The government won't need to make a law like this. The free market will handle it. By 2040 we will all need the revenue from these tattoos to stay above the poverty line.

No-Fly Zone Spolied the Day!!..

[Guzzitza]

Turns out that Google didnt think the plan through, with several portions of Sydney being deemed a no-fly zone on the day - in particular several parks and beaches such as Bondi Beach - where many people congregated to create large signs. One company even spent $10,000 on a sign, only to miss out!!

See article here:

http://www.smh.com.au/news/biztech/google-botch-sy dney-flyover/2007/01/29/1169919256978.html/ [smh.com.au]