Somebody is not happy with all the Justin Bieber graffiti in San Francisco.
City prosecutor Attorney Dennis Herrera made it his personal 'purpose' to find and sanction whoever is responsible for all the "guerilla marketing and promotion" of the teen idol's newest album "Purpose".
The street vandalism serves as additional advertisement for the release of the said album. "Justin Bieber," "Purpose" and "#Nov13," have been spray painted at several locations within the city.
"Our sidewalks in San Francisco are not canvasses for corporate advertising," Herrera expressed through a letter to executives at Def Jam Recordings and Universal Music Group, Bieber's record label and distribution company. He also added that he would "aggressively pursue all available penalties and costs from those responsible."
Herrera reiterated that it is an act against local ordinances and vandalism "irresponsibly tells our youth that likeminded lawlessness and contempt for public property are condoned and encouraged by its beneficiaries."
The graffiti were linked to the singer after same vandals are visible in Similar sidewalk graffiti appeared in Manhattan's East Village neighborhood in November around the time of the album's release, a Reuters witness reported.
Herrera said his office has previously secured financial arrangements for such campaign methods, which have been compensated by IBM, NBC Universal, Turner Broadcasting and Zynga. Civil penalties for each graffiti could run up to $2,500.
Though this was not the first time the street walls were used as a promotional stunt for other artists but the previous ones used chalk, Herrera said. Those of Justin Bieber used permanent spray paints that could not be washed off by rains.
Ian Kerr, a sales associate from OUTFRONT Media, an advertising firm, said that ad campaigns in San Francisco is a little bit pricey: promoting through a San Francisco bus shelter could cost around $400 for a four-week period, while a highway-side billboard could cost anywhere between $25,000 and $50,000.
"Purpose" is Justin Bieber's fourth and comeback album. It breaks records as the best-selling and most successful debut so far in the singer's career, reached the top of the U.S. Billboard 200 album chart, selling 520,000 albums, 602,000 songs and being streamed 100 million times in its first week.
