Way back in November 2012, we heard the curious story about the Target, Apple & Starbucks billboards around Seattle that weren't actually paid for by Target, Apple & Starbucks. Instead, tiny signs on the ad would send you a sneaky address where you'd be pressured into buying gift cards. Total Outdoor, the ad buying company running this weird shell game, is finally getting served with a legal smackdown.
City Attornery Pete Holmes announced he is suing the company and "several Seattle building owners and businesses for flagrantly violating the on-premises sign code." Holmes is using a city ordinance that requires building billboards to promote establishments actually on the premises.
Four specific sites were noted as ordinance offenders in partnership with Total Outdoor. A downtown apartment building called the Oxford, a downtown building formerly home to Club Noc Noc, Garibaldi Restaurant in Queen Anne and Trago Cocina and Lounge in South Lake Union.
· Seattle Suing Advertising Company For 'Sham Signs' In Downtown Area [Seattle Weekly]
· Take A Closer Look At This Seattle Billboard Scam [Seattle Weekly]