ROLLING BILLBOARDS STARTLE MONTREAL DRUNKS
By Adnews Staff
Montrealers hitting the streets after happy hour yesterday were greeted, not by pink elephants on parade, but by a caravan of giant rolling billboards. The three trucks, each bearing a 10-by-20-foot billboard panel, trolled the party strips of Montreal last night to get out a message of moderate alcohol use. The campaign, on behalf of non-profit public awareness group Educ'alcool, was put together by Communications bleu blanc rouge and media agency Challenge, both of Montreal. It's theme is "La moderation a bien meilleur gout," or "Moderation tastes so much better." This campaign marks the first time billboard trucks of this size have been used in North America. Called Euromobiles, the vehicles were originally developed in Belgium and have proved very effective in European tests over the past several years. During the Educ'alcool campaign the trucks will drive separate routes calculated to take them past Montreal's most popular bars, clubs and restaurants at their peak business hours. On Friday the trucks will depart for Quebec City. If the medium is well received it will likely come to Ontario in the near future.