Copyright San Diego Union-Tribune
San Diego collected $19,000 in fines for illegal building wraps at this summer’s Comic-Con International. The wraps, featuring advertisements this year for “The Walking Dead”, “Gen V” and others, are a favorite of convention goers but have been the ire of neighborhood groups, which call them a blight on downtown. They are also, technically, against the law, even though fines are relatively small. There were 19 citations issued this year across hotels, residential buildings and restaurants. That was down from last year, when there were 27 citations totaling $22,500 in fines. San Diego didn’t go soft on fines this year, it’s just that there were fewer wraps. Hollywood largely took a break, compared to past years, from this year’s pop-culture bonanza. The main building wrapper, New York-based KAP Media, had 22 installations this summer, down slightly from 25 last year. Industry experts cited a run of box-office duds and less output, especially from Marvel Studios, as a reason for a calmer convention. San Diego’s war on public advertising is long-running, having started in the 1970s when it limited the number of billboards in the city. San Diego was sued over its restrictions, which eventually led to a 1981 U.S. Supreme Court case. The ruling allowed the city to prohibit any new billboards based on city concerns about community aesthetics and traffic safety. A lawmaker concerned about too much advertising might seem quaint these days. Advertisements are prevalent in technology that didn’t exist back when San Diego was taking on billboards: Social media, streaming channels, email, websites and more. A University of Southern California study estimated that the average person was exposed to 500 advertisements a day in the 1970s but 5,000 a day by 2023. “The wraps are fun, innovative, temporary ways to showcase San Diego’s creative relationship with the Comic-Con phenomenon,” said Kelly Cunningham of the San Diego Institute for Economic Research. “Exceptions should be allowed for this unique stellar event that brings economic promotion and value to the region.” Cunningham made his comments as part of The San Diego Union-Tribune’s weekly Econometer panel, made up of a group of economists and business leaders. The panel was asked if the city should do away with fines for Comic-Con advertising in July. Eleven panelists said the city should eliminate fines, citing the tourism revenue the city gets from the event. Two panelists said fines should stay, saying they raise much-needed funds for the city. Scenic San Diego, a neighborhood that has long opposed Comic-Con wraps, did not respond to a call for comment but called the signs “egregious” this summer on its website. It argued the revenue generated in fines was not enough to ignore the city’s laws, which are designed to protect the visual quality of San Diego. The city can fine businesses up to $10,000 a day, but such high sanctions are rare. It is more common for San Diego to give out warnings or a $1,000-per-day citation. Most people involved in the wraps are tight-lipped about how much they cost. In 2011, the Hilton San Diego Bayfront said it was paid $70,000 by Universal Pictures two years in a row to promote two of its films. KAP Media, the main building wrapper, said in 2024 it can cost more than $100,000 for its wraps. Paying fines likely is a drop in the bucket for advertising budgets and, for shows and movies that are hits, probably well worth it. For instance, this year’s biggest wrap was at the Omni San Diego Hotel at the Ballpark for anime film, “Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle.” It went on to be the fifth-highest grossing movie in the world this year, said Box Office Mojo, earning $670 million as of early November. Not all of the building wraps are illegal. The Port of San Diego allows building wraps on land it controls west of Harbor Drive and Pacific Highway. This year, that included advertisements for “Alien: Earth”, “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” and several video games, including “Digimon Story.” Here’s how the fines broke down by business: Hilton San Diego Gaslamp Quarter: $3,000 The Hilton Gaslamp featured advertisements for AMC’s franchise of shows based on Anne Rice books, including “Interview with the Vampire” (the upcoming season adapts the novel, “The Vampire Lestat”) and “Talamasca.” The opposite side of the hotel featured an advertisement for the Marvel Studios film “Fantastic 4: First Steps” combined with a promotion for the Google Play store. Pendry Hotel San Diego: $3,000 AMC’s zombie franchise “The Walking Dead” covered the Pendry hotel with several of its projects: The “Daryl Dixon” show was the primary focus, with other shows “The Ones who Live” and “Dead City” at street level. Lou & Mickey’s: $2,000 The Lou & Mickey’s restaurant was fined as part of the AMC promotion of Anne Rice shows, which stretched over into the Hilton Gaslamp hotel. It also had a promotion on the side of the building for Prime’s “Gen V” show. Omni San Diego Hotel at the Ballpark: $3,000 The “Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle” movie probably had the most visible advertisement at this year’s convention. Park 12: $3,000 San Diego’s biggest apartment complex, Park 12, had an advertisement for the latest “Dexter” show. Hard Rock Hotel San Diego: $3,000 The Hard Rock Hotel featured several shows on the Starz network, including “Spartacus: House of Ashur” and “Outlander: Blood of My Blood.” Huntress Steakhouse: $2,000 This fine was for a Paramount+ sign outside its promotional space, featuring games and merchandise, called The Lodge. Several of its shows were featured, including “Landman”.
