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| Surprise Builds a Better Bell, Drivers See Orange |
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Submitted by Janice Tarleton, Communications Specialist, City of Surprise
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Drivers on Bell Road in Surprise were seeing orange May 2 as
officials publicly launched Building a Better Bell, a $10 million,
3-5 year improvement project for Surprise's main east-west
thoroughfare. Starting at 9 a.m., City Council and staff members,
clad in orange hats, t-shirts and high-top Converse, standing under
a giant orange balloon arch, handed out oranges and orange drinks
to drivers stopped at the signal light near West Point Parkway and
Bell Road.
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"Orange you glad we're building a better Bell?" is the marketing
slogan for the comprehensive road improvement project. The inconvenience
residents may face on a daily basis is no laughing matter, but the
Communications Department decided to take a light-hearted approach
in hopes of grabbing attention (and media coverage) to get the word
out that the City IS doing something about Bell Road and warn motorists
that construction is ahead.
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A "Building a Better Bell" logo was created to appear on signs,
the website and all printed materials. When residents see the logo,
they should immediately associate it with the Bell Road improvement
project. A dedicated website, www.bellroadimprovements.com is already
up and running, with information about the project, the latest news and
recommended detours.
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The construction-orange color used in the logo spawned the marketing
slogan. Video teaser ads, "Orange, it's a good thing and Orange is
beautiful," featuring an animated "orange guy" were created by the
City's television production specialist and began appearing on Channel
11 and the Jumbotron at Surprise Stadium in late March.
Similar advertisements placed in local newspapers for two weeks
in late April were aimed at piquing interest in the May 2 season
opener: The "a-peeling" roadside event where 360 oranges and 288
orange drinks were handed out in less than 45 minutes.
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During the next few weeks, Council members and staff members will hit
the road for "The Orange Tour," speaking at homeowner's associations
and other civic meetings to bring awareness to the project. Of course
they'll be wearing orange and handing out orange t-shirts and magnets
to the crowd.
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Building a Better Bell is actually a compilation of 25 individual
projects which include resurfacing of the roadway, adding right-turn
lanes, installing several signal lights and upgrading median landscaping
and lighting.
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League of Arizona Cities and Towns
1820 W. Washington St.
Phoenix, AZ 85007
Phone: 602-258-5786
Fax: 602-253-3874
http://www.azleague.org
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