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.
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Was the adspace paid for? or are they covering up ads that paid to be there?
In Oakland, much of the adspace on benches is not purchased. The company that places the ads uses generic filler when there is no ad. The filler ads either promote bench advertising as a concept, display insipid messages about recycling, or a completely generic “Welcome to Our City” which could be dropped into any bench in any city. Primarily these filler ads and out of date ads were those that were replaced.
look up “transit usabilty” and then see if bus advertising benches
are there for the public or are just a hindrance to the transportation system.