No permit, no display ad
By Melissa Pang
Housing agent Fabien Tan replaced a 4m by 2m banner ad with this smaller one after he was told the huge one was illegal. The BCA rules state that all outdoor ads - regardless of size - must have a licence. -- ST PHOTO: WONG KWAI CHOW
You could not have missed it if you had been walking or driving near the Lorong Chuan area last month.
A huge 4m by 2m banner advertising a home sale was draped over the fence at the back of a semi-detached house in Li Hwan estate.
It read 'For Sale Semi-detached $2.6 million' and gave the telephone number of the housing agent.
But the canvas display has since been taken down - and replaced with a much smaller one - because it broke the rules.
The banner was put up by housing agent Fabien Tan, 28, who felt that traditional publicity methods such as newspaper and online ads and fliers were either too expensive or took too much time to distribute.
So he spent $200 for the giant banner and placed it at the back of the house because it faces a busy traffic junction between Lorong Chuan and Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1.
But about a week after the banner went up, he was told by the Land Transport Authority to take it down as it was illegal and posed a danger to motorists.
He was also told that he would be fined if it was not removed.
Under Building and Construction Authority (BCA) rules, all forms of outdoor advertisements - regardless of size and where they are placed - must have a licence.
Outdoor advertisements are defined as 'outdoor display of any logo, symbol, sign, notice or other visual device, promoting any goods or services, brands of products or events'.
The rule applies even if the sign is placed within one's property.
The reason, said a BCA spokesman, is 'to ensure that such displays are mounted safely and befit the amenities of the place'.
Anyone who flouts the rules can be fined up to $5,000.
The cost of a display advertisement permit depends on its size. It is about $20 for displays not more than 1 sq m, and $140 for those between 5 sq m and 10 sq m.
Still, Mr Tan considers the $200 well-spent even though the banner was up for only about three weeks and the house remains unsold.
'I got more calls than usual from putting up the banner. But there were nuisance calls too,' he said.
BCA said that in the last year alone, it has compounded about 670 offences of unlicensed display of outdoor advertisement signs and signboards. These were put up by owners of properties, advertisers or advertising companies. There were 260 offences in 2008.
To curb the growing problem of unlicensed display advertisements, BCA conducts regular enforcement checks.
It also relies on feedback from the public and other relevant authorities.
Most residents in the Li Hwan estate interviewed said they were surprised when they saw the original banner.
Engineer Esmond Chua, 31, said: 'The first thing I thought was, 'Wow! It's very huge.' I was quite shocked when I saw it and thought it was quite distracting.'
But others did not mind.
Student Dylan Teoh, 18, thinks such banners are acceptable 'as long as it does not encroach on other people's space'.
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It pays to drive home a point
By Ng Hui Ying
More people, such as Mr Edwin Kheng from HSR Property Group, are using their cars to carry advertisements for themselves and other companies. The traffic police say those who wish to do so must first apply for a permit. -- ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM
You must have seen those cars carrying advertisements for property agents or food companies.
But not many know that car owners can actually sell space on their vehicles for such promotional purposes.
Mr Johnson Soh, 42, manager of decal company Soh Guan Chuan Auto Supply, said more than 10 companies have approached him to find willing car owners. The carrot? Some firms foot the road tax for the owner's car - between $1,000 and $1,500 a year for a 1,600cc car - while others hand out petrol vouchers worth $500 to $1,000.
The companies are in fields ranging from liquor to health products and frozen food.
GenConcept, another decal company, said it has seen 50 per cent more enquiries over the past few years concerning advertising on both cars and commercial vehicles.
Renvertising, a company that specialises in advertising on wheels, also helps companies find car owners.
Renvertising's owner, Mr Jeff Peh, 26, said the number of private car owners who have signed on has grown from 220 in 2008 to about 500 now.
One such owner, who wanted to be known only as L. H., said the advertisement his car carries for 3A Car Mats has prompted many of his neighbours to buy the product.
The 33-year-old car dealer, who drives a Proton Wira, is paid $150 a month for his help. That is enough to cover his road tax of $600 and insurance of about $1,000 yearly.
Sometimes, the advertiser works out a win-win deal with the car owner who might actually be an employee of the firm.
In the case of property agent Edwin Kheng, his 1,500cc Honda City carries details like the name of his company (HSR Property Group) and logo, plus his contact number and photo.
The tie-up is also a plus for his career. Said Mr Kheng, 33: 'With car decals, people know I'm the resident property agent in that area and might call me if they ever need help.'
Decals can cost anything from the low tens to thousands of dollars for more fancy designs.
And then there are the drivers who put up their own money for decals, with lofty goals in mind.
Civil servant Terence Soo, 29, has a decal on his Nissan Latio's bumper that displays the website address of Goducate, a non-profit organisation which he volunteers with.
Set up in 2008, it helps improve literacy levels among poverty- stricken children in South-east Asia.
Of the $12 decal, he said: 'It makes sense for individual volunteers to help this way, rather than by donating just a dollar once in a while.'
A spokesman for the Land Transport Authority said it has guidelines on ad placements. The stickers must not be more than 15cm measured from the top edge of the front windscreen, and not more than 10cm measured from the top edge of the rear windscreen and side windows.
The basic colour of the vehicle must also be maintained. This rules out full-body wrapping using vinyl stickers.
The Traffic Police said owners seeking to put advertisements on their vehicles must first get a permit.
Offenders can be fined up to $1,000 or jailed up to three months, or in the case of a second or subsequent offence, a fine of up to $2,000 or jail term of up to six months.
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