HBO Removes Billboard That Covered Kobe Bryant Mural In L.A.
On Tuesday, Twitter user Patrick Muldowney posted an image with the following words: “Where there used to be a Kobe mural, there’s now an HBO billboard. It doesn’t even fully cover the Kobe painting.”
Within hours of that post, the billboard was removed and the mural restored in all its glory.
Deadline has learned that the billboard was part of an overall outdoor buy that included a vendor called Great Outdoor. HBO was not aware that the mural would be covered.
But once HBO was made aware of the situation, it contacted Great Outdoor and asked them to immediately take down the billboard. From all appearances, that request was carried out with alacrity. The mural was reportedly not damaged and is now once again in full view.
Ironically, it was Great Outdoor that originally commissioned the mural.
Great Outdoor issued this statement:
We actually commissioned the artist to paint this mural up there because we had a couple open months on it. This idea was all approved by the artist and we preserved the mural so in between ad campaigns the mural will be back. The artist told us that he will reach out to anyone that says anything to let them know that he approved this idea and he was trying to find a creative way to support Kobe’s foundation. This mural is owned by us and we are protecting it.
Muldowney, who works for the sports site The Ringer, was appreciative.
“I hope the advertising company doesn’t lose out on valuable real estate because of a nice gesture they made following Kobe’s death, he wrote. “It was great of them to offer that space in the first place.”
Source: Tom Tapp
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