The presence of Prince George is towering down on Vancouver commuters driving the bustling route over the Cambie Street Bridge alongside B.C. Place Stadium.
Initiatives Prince George has secured six spots in the giant advertisement screen's rotation.
"It will be seen by motorists coming in and out of downtown Vancouver on that very busy route, and also seen by a lot of people who walk or take transit in that area," said Heather Oland, CEO of IPG. "We have six ads altogether. Two of them feature former Vancouver residents who now call Prince George home, talking about what they found for lifestyle in our city; two feature Prince George business owners talking about doing business here; and two are more generic ads saying general things about Prince George."
In the three months the ads will be screened on one of B.C.'s most prominent billboards, an estimated 580,000 vehicles will pass by it, many occupied by more than one person. Being at the end of a major bridge in front of a dominant physical feature makes it hard to miss for those on that route.
The fee for this advertising presence was about $24,000 and, said Oland, "a lot of that was leveraged from various advertising dollar sources, not all City of Prince George funds."
It is part of an effort IPG is making in the Lower Mainland to draw attention to the relatively cheaper cost of living and relatively easier career development pathways available in Prince George.
"A big part of our mandate is to grow the population base, grow the tax base, attract new people and retain current residents so we can have the way of life we all enjoy here," said Oland. "Vancouver has higher housing costs, stiffer competition for career opportunities, urban density pressures... We have a lot of advantages over that."
The billboard ad campaign is set to link up with the online job fair IPG is hosting, with its focus on getting prospective Lower Mainland employees into relationships with local business and industry looking for workers. That online event happens June 4.
