Bob McCarty Writes

If not for the large number of above-ground power lines partially-obstructing my view of it, I probably would have ignored the Ameren UE billboard (click image below to enlarge) which touts “BURYING POWER LINES UNDER GROUND.”

Located along Highway 94 in neighboring St. Charles County, the outdoor advertisement is part of power supplier’s billion-dollar reliability and environmental improvement program, Project Power On. Launched in July 2007, the program’s apparent goal is to offset increasingly-negative public opinion that has resulted from a spate of frequent and lengthy power outages in the St. Louis area.

I’m just guessing, but it appears the folks at Ameren UE — or their advertising agency — didn’t check out the site lines before leasing this billboard for their program. Perhaps the area near this billboard should be first on the list of areas to have their power lines buried.

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UPDATE 2/19/08: Marianne Richmond at Resonance Partnership takes my observations about Ameren UE a step further and looks at the company through a marketing expert’s lens. Take a look here to learn more about how the company “disconnects” from its customers in more than one way.