This blog is a resource for ad takeover artists and information about contemporary advertising issues in public space. If you have content you would like to share, please send us an email.
Eduardo Moises Penalver & Sonia Kaytal Property Outlaws: How Squatters, Pirates, and Protesters Improve the Law of Ownership
Barbara Ehrenreich Dancing in the Streets: A History of Collective Joy
Lewis Hyde The Gift, Creativity and the Artist in the Modern World
Geoffrey Miller Spent: Sex, Evolution, & Consumer Behavior
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Byzantium Security - For the 1% That Matters
Yesterday I posted about some fake ads that offended the NYPD and caused a pretty serious reaction. Today you get an image of a real ad that I wish was fake. This upcoming television show clearly took advantage of the fact that the OWS anniversary would result in a heavy police presence in downtown NY and an amazing photo opportunity that is better than any ad they could have imagined.
While the ad's content is obviously not for a real company but for a fictional company that exists in the fictional world of this upcoming television show, it is still a pretty serious affront to the real grievances that the OWS movement is trying to make plain. In many ways I see it as very similar to the fake ad that I posted about yesterday although this one is ok because it was paid for by a commercial enterprise. Something seems incredibly wrong with that. You may not agree with the OWS movement but it is a very real political endeavor and to allow a company access to public space to make light of their issue for commercial gain, while subsequently policing the movements "fake" political messages seems to reiterate the fact that at least in public space it really is the 1% that matters.
Big Bloomberg Is Watching: NYPD Fingerprints Fake NYPD Ads
I'm out of town on art adventures but was just recently made aware of this ad takeover turned NYPD investigation surrounding the OWS anniversary. All I can say is wow! I truly feel that these messaging boards disguised as public payphones, which are most often used for commercial messages that contribute to detrimental social behavior and rampant consumption should be available for public use. That said, criticizing the NYPD is clearly an aggressive move which has garnered an equally aggressive response, fingerprinting, and what will surely result in some sort of arrest. I hope those involved wore gloves, and if not that they have a well thought out argument for why their use of that space should be justifiable behavior. God speed.
Via: Gothamist
The NYPD is taking those fake NYPD propaganda posters from yesterday's OWS action really seriously. To the point they are fingerprinting the darn things, typos and all. After all those posters were put on display in public spaces that the New York City government has sold the exclusive rights for private companies to use—not protesters! How else might New Yorkers find out that the American Broadcasting Company has a television program this fall that features a big, red circular staircase?
The fingerprinting response, which was spotted by a tipster this afternoon, seems a little different from how NYPD spokesman Paul Browne seemed to feel about the posters—which carried messages like "DRONES, protection when you least expect it"—when asked about them earlier. "[It] appears to be NYPD critics subjecting us to a droll attack," he told reporters.
But thank goodness the cops are taking this crime seriously. Who knows, maybe they can repeat that free subwayfiasco and falsely connect the posters to some cold case murders before the year is out!
The Billboard Art Project - The most democratic of them all
I am so late to this party I am embarrassed, my apologies for not posting about this earlier.
I first heard about the billboard art project in June at which point I had the pleasure of speaking with the project director David Morrison on the phone for about a half hour. I was mostly interested in how the project came to be and how David was funding such an ambitious project. As it would turn out, like many art projects which deal with outdoor advertising and art, the project was completely self funded and a selfless act of true altruism. There is something to be said for the fact that an industry so hellbent on making money by consuming your attention and inoculating you with self doubt, released only by consumptive catharsis, would be met with such an opposing strategy.
You should read more about the Billboard Art Project on their website but what struck me as the most interesting aspect of this endeavor was its open curation methods. Absolutely anyone can submit images to the Billboard Art Project and expect to see their work displayed, if only momentarily on a billboard somewhere across the US. This total democratization of media makes this project unlike many of the projects we showcase here on PublicAdCampaign. While I would not call artistic endeavors to replace advertising selfish, by their very nature they highlight one persons imagery. The Billboard Art project on the other hand is an opportunity for anyone to interject their ideas into public space which makes this project not only unique but an amazing resource for simply altering peoples relationship to public space. Once you have participated, your adjusted view of your role in public curation should continue on into the future and that is no small accomplishment.
The Billboard Art Project is a nonprofit organization that acquires digital billboards normally used for advertising and repurposes them as roadside galleries. Projects are held in cities all over the country and are open to all individuals and groups who are interested in participating. More [HERE]
"Smart brands will also encourage the use of a preferred browser via value-added incentives for users. Imagine the year 2013, where the official SXSW mobile app is enhanced with AR browser Junaio. Attendees will download the app, as it’s the only way to see exclusive video content available on the virtual banners behind speakers. Brands will sponsor the app, and attendees will be entertained between panels with clickable content they can share with their social graph."
In my preparations for NuART over the last month or so I have really dropped the ball here at the PublicAdCampaign blog. Truthfully it doesnt look like its gonna get much better for the next few weeks but when I return I promise to get back into the swing of things. As a consolation, here are two pieces from two of my favorite takeover artists, OX, and Peter Fuss.
