Category Archives: Bus Stop Ad Project

As an artist who works regularly with problematic social issues, Packard Jennings has had an adversarial relationship with advertising for a long time. Working with the Anti-Advertising Agency Jennings created a series of anti-advertisements for Oakland bus benches based on manipulative tactics commonly used by advertisers, such as: the manufacturing of desire, using fear, targeting children, and racial and sexual stereotyping.

The artwork address’s community concerns about advertising in our public spaces. Members of the community chose the placement of the anti-ads by filling out a brief survey about advertising’s tactics. This survey was taken door to door within a one-block radius of each target bus stop. The results were charted, and the largest average concern dictated which anti-ad is placed at that area’s bus stop.