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Listen, we're all for preserving and protecting the Earth's natural resources. Humans are destroying the planet at an aggressive clip, and environmental awareness and conservation is shaping up to be the most important fight of the 21st century. That said, when a loan company props up a whole bunch of trees and bushes in New York's most congested area as a publicity stunt, we're not going to stand by and pretend that it's a good idea.
On Wednesday, LightStream (the paperless online lending division of SunTrust Bank) temporarily installed what they're claiming is a forest in the middle of Times Square. The one-day event aims to celebrate the company's initiative to plant a tree for every loan that it has funded since launching in 2013. Dubbed the “Forest of Dreams,” the company gave passersby the opportunity to take a photo in front of a tree-themed background, some of which were uploaded to a billboard in the square.
This pop-up is certainly not the most obnoxious installation we've seen in Times Square this year (that title goes to the sugar children from August), but it might be the biggest pain in the ass. Traversing the hellhole that is Times Square is not a task that any sane New Yorker enjoys, and these goddamn trees made that process even more difficult on Wednesday.
Does the world have bigger problems than a collection of trees in a tourist-ridden area for eight hours? Absolutely, but that doesn't make it okay.
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