Phantom Billstickers

Phantom Billstickers is New Zealand’s leading street poster business. Following the tragic 2010 Christchurch earthquake, its people hatched an idea – using advertising columns to act as emergency supplies storage units. Diadem was engaged in bringing this concept to life, while also improving the columns’ aesthetics and efficiency. Working closely with Phantom on the design, Diadem delivered ten columns in Wellington and two in Hamilton. A lockable storage unit was built into the 3.5-metre high columns, which contains emergency equipment such as first aid kits, axes and pinch bars. Each unit mounts a cement base which Diadem designed to be earthquake-proof. The entire structure needed to appropriately balance accessibility against the risk of vandalism. The durability and dual purpose of the design required considerations from the structural framework to the lockable doors. The aesthetic of the upgraded columns was inspired by those in Europe’s major cities. The columns also needed to relocatable billboards, with the ability to be levelled on uneven surfaces. Innovations to the columns included solar-powered LED lighting which illuminates posters behind a durable polycarbonate shell, and an internal battery.