Revamped anti-Cell C banner goes up

A revamped Cell C banner has gone up at the World Wear shopping centre, with some content removed and new content added.

The original was erected on Thursday, 6 November 2014, and contained Cell C’s branding with the message “The most useless service provider in SA – Cell C Sandton City”.

The banner also named the Cell C Sandton City franchise manager – saying that his “unnamed executive head refuses to assist the customer”.

There was also very fine print which stated that views expressed were “perceived by the billboard owner”.

Original Cell C billboard

Cell C billboard small text

Cell C billboard small text

On Saturday morning, 8 November, the 20m x 5m billboard was changed. All the Cell C branding was covered using black tape, while the negative messages remained.

The reason for the changes, according to the people making the changes, was because of legal concerns.

Cell C billboard after effected changes to it, prior to the hearing

Cell C billboard blacked-out parts

Only three days after the changes, the banner was vandalised. Black paint was used to remove the negative messages and white spray-paint used to change the original messages.

The main message was changed from “The most useless service provider in SA” to “The most useful service provider in SA”.

Cell C vandalised billboard with new messages

The changes to the banner by the vandal have now been removed, and the banner has been changed once again.

It now only contains the message “Cell C – perceived by the owner of this billboard to be The most useless service provider in SA as experienced via Cell C Sandton City”.

The name of the Cell C franchise manager and the related message has also been removed.

Cell C new banner

Cell C amended banner

New Cell C banner

Photos courtesy of Erin Bates of eNCA.

Cell C billboard fight continues

The City of Johannesburg said on 18 November that it will issue a notice of removal to the landlord of the World Wear shopping centre, instructing him to remove the banner.

A spokesperson for the City of Joburg metropolitan municipality said that they never received an application for the banner to be erected.

However, eNCA multimedia reporter Erin Bates said that the person behind the banner, George Prokas, told her that no one from the city contacted him regarding the banner and the relevant by-laws.

More on the Cell C billboard

New twist in anti-Cell C banner saga

We’ll get it right: Cell C CEO