VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) - Science World is showing off its 'bling'. A billboard entirely wrapped in 22-karat gold is being set up on West 4th Avenue near Granville Island. It will be unveiled Wednesday, and only be up until Friday.
It's the first of its kind anywhere in the world, and has its own security guard! It's meant to draw visitors to Science World's 'Treasure' exhibit. Two ounces of gold has been pounded so thin it covers the entire 200 square foot billboard advertisement. The cost? $11,000.
Jennifer Newstead with Re-think communications--the group behind the ad--says some people thought they were crazy to make a gold billboard. "The gilder definitely did. But everyone's really excited about it and the billboard looks spectacular."
The billboard is the result of four weeks of painstaking work by Canada's top gilder, Brian Dedora, who usually spends his time gilding vaulted cathedrals or modern works of art.. "The first time they asked me, I thought they were mad. I've never done anything quite like this. I've spent the last three years of my life gilding the Ukrainian National Church in Toronto."
So how do you protect a giant gold board? "We have Paladin Security
standing by the billboard. They'll be there around the clock while the
ad is in market. Hopefully that will keep people from trying to take a
piece of their own."