Category Archives: News

Interview with Jordan Seiler of PublicAdCampaign.com

By Steve Lambert | Published: May 4, 2009

Jordan Seiler of Illegalsigns.ca’s American comrade, PublicAdCampaign.com pulled together what many could argue as one of the largest organized guerilla art campaigns in regards to illegal billboards in recent memory (perhaps ever). Doing all North American cities proud, Seiler, along with over 40 participants, white-washed illegal billboards across the city followed quickly by artwork, messages, and general visually stimulating fare to take back the public space. Space that companies, namely NPA Outdoor had obtained and utilized in complete disregard of the city’s bylaws, resulting in excessively cluttered streets.

Art from Ji Lee, Tristan Eaton, Gaia and Rachel , Aakash Nihilani, Maya Hayuk, MOMO and I AM was featured among the myriad of work south of 30th Street in Manhattan. In the midst of artist charges and show documentation, Seiler took a moment out of his busy schedule to answer our legal and art queries.

Read it all: » 120 Illegal NPA / City Outdoor Billboards Replaced with Art In New York City ::: illegalsigns

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A Seaside Burial

By Michael Mandiberg | Published: May 4, 2009

Japan (2002)

Um… so… the logic of this advertisement is as follows: “Smile, while we bury you alive. You will look nice by the sea, but you will die from our product”

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Blaming Advertising

By Steve Lambert | Published: May 3, 2009

From Rob Walker’s Linkpile:

“Two-thirds of Americans (66%) believe advertising agencies have at least some responsibility for the current economic crisis because they caused people to buy things they couldn’t afford. In fact, one-third (33%) believe they have complete or a great deal of responsibility.” Interestingly they tend NOT to blame peers. Which is interesting given years of claims by consumers and gurus alike that advertising doesn’t affect us and we only listen to our friends. But you knew that wasn’t true all along. Didn’t you?

Just target or not, people be piiiiiiissed! Check out the study.

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Is this a Turf War?

By Michael Mandiberg | Published: May 3, 2009

This is a follow up to the Graffiti Fail

Michael Mandiberg tackles the advertising parading as street art at Eyebeam yet again.

for more: mandiberg.com

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Artists Strike Back! The New York Street Advertising Takeover (NYSAT)/Municipal Landscape Control Committee (Groundswell)

By Steve Lambert | Published: April 29, 2009

Last Saturday’s events were big news – this summary comes from Groundswell Collective:

PublicAdCampaign.com‘s Jordan Seiler recounted the events of April 25th, 2009, with just a few words: “Something happened yesterday, an eye for an eye”

The New York Street Advertising Takeover (NYSAT) organized approximately 80 artists and other participants to whitewash 120 billboards that operate illegally in New York, which they used as canvasses. Attached to each billboard was a fake warning note, shown here, that declared NYC’s Department of Buildings had deemed the billboards illegal, and scheduled the whitewashing. Real Municipal Landscape Control Committee contacts were used.

Four arrests followed from this act of civil disobedience cum vigilante justice: 2 whitewashers, one artist, and one videographer. The charges of criminal mischief, which the DA has since reduced to disorderly conduct, are being challenged.

Barbara Celis, a journalist that writes for the Spanish language newspaper El Pais, broke the story, and has posted details that the Posterboy and Enjoy Banking crews were involved, with many pictures from the action.

To summarize, Seiler again:

More than about art, this project was about public participation in the visual construction of their shared environment.

via Groundswell Collective

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Swine Flu Is the Hottest New Viral Marketing Idea (Gawker)

By Steve Lambert | Published: April 29, 2009

Swine flu panic is just a week old and like most Americans you probably have only one thing on your mind: how can I make some sweet fast cash off this thing? Enter guerrilla marketing.
Gawker – Swine Flu Is the Hottest New Viral Marketing Idea – Swine flu

(P.S. GoGorilla Media has been one of the worst for years. – Steve)

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Plus Art Minus Ad

By Steve Lambert | Published: April 28, 2009

This video was sent on by someone who I’m not yet sure wants to remain anonymous. A simple and colorful change. Part of the massive coordinated art takeover of illegal advertising space this past weekend – which you will hear more about on this site soon…

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Graffiti Fail (Advertising)

By Michael Mandiberg | Published: April 21, 2009

Solving Problems…

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Solo Show in Los Angeles opens 4/25

By Steve Lambert | Published: April 17, 2009

I don’t normally mention many of my projects outside of the Anti-Advertising Agency, but this one feels relevant.

I started the AAA four years ago after making my own art related to advertising and public space for the five years prior.  So, after 9 years of thinking about these issues and making projects about them, I was offered a solo show. I realized I had the opportunity to make new pieces that didn’t need to be read at 25 miles an hour like much of what I’ve done in the street. And unlike what I usually put out online, I could make work that takes more than 5 seconds to be read. This show presented me a lot of freedom to play with how advertising works, why I respect and admire it, and how at the same time I despise it.

I will have photos up at visitsteve.com next week.  If you can make it to the opening, please say hello.

EVERYTHING YOU WANT, RIGHT NOW! – NEW WORK BY STEVE LAMBERT

APRIL 25 TO JUNE 6, 2009

ARTIST’S RECEPTION APRIL 25, 2009 6 – 9PM

Charles James Gallery

975 Chung King Road

Los Angeles, CA 90012

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Product Placement video

By Steve Lambert | Published: April 14, 2009

This video was made by Matti Niinimäki using the audio from the Anti-Advertising Agency Portable Sound Unit project. The audio has been re-purposed so that various animated corporate mascots speak frankly about how they feel about advertising.

When Sara Dierck, Michael Dodge, and I made the audio for this almost 4 years ago, we released it openly for anyone to use through a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial license. We wanted the audio to be available for other people to use. This video is just the kind of thing we were hoping for.

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Cash-Strapped L.A. Times Shills Shamelessly for ‘The Soloist’

By Steve Lambert | Published: April 14, 2009

The once-mighty Los Angeles Times, which is fighting for its life, is under fire by its staff for a four-page Sunday advertorial section promoting the movie “The Soloist,” which carries the Times’ logo and contains an interview with its columnist Steve Lopez, who is played by Robert Downey Jr. in the movie opening on April 24. (Last week, the Times, whose parent company is in bankruptcy, devoted a substantial portion of its front page to a faux news story about a new NBC series, further undermining the paper’s credibility). As I noted a few days ago, the failed Oscar contender “The Soloist” is studded with references to the Times’ falling circulation and layoffs, none of which have anything to do with the ostensible story, Lopez’ discovery of a homeless Julliard School dropout played by Jamie Foxx. For someone working at a failing newspaper, being relegated to a subplot is really adding insult to injury.
via NY POST

(thanks Liz Filardi)

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(Marketer)

By Michael Mandiberg | Published: April 11, 2009

(Marketer)

Really? Your name is (Marketer)?

Damn, I want to be your Fan!

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Public Ad Campaign’s Recent Five

By jordan | Published: March 29, 2009

1. With a wave of business closures in New York, store fronts are being converted over to street level billboards with little regard for New York City’s sign laws. In these tough economic times it seems cheap adhesive vinyl and corporate crime lose to city permits and legal billboards in the corporate cost-benefit analysis. While they make a buck, we can “take a field trip to the peanutarium.”
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2. Using striking visual imagery to relate to our environment, question our social and political agendas through serendipitous moments, and ambiguous gestures, such as those of artist Shepard Fairey, are old hat. What we need from our street artists are active political gestures which shape thinking and disseminate ideas, as opposed to create confusion in hopes of shaking things up.  Do you agree?

3. Jenifer Jacobs has fun at CBS’s expense and maybe you should too. She says, “My art is an effort to take responsibility for the effects of my exposure to popular media and provide an insightful and personal response.” Amazing, most of us just let it wash over us like a cool breeze.

4. Illegal billboards are everywhere but it’s always fun to catch them when they are feeling out new teritory. Brooklyn isnt as popular as Manhattan but in this economy, companies are scoping out some new spots across the river.

5. I love how building owners and outdoor advertising companies feign ignorance of both the penalties and the laws regarding outdoor advertising signage. Perhaps this $955,000 fine might help educate the industry, or bettter, eventually drive them all out of business.

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Corporate Sponsored Pothole Repair!

By Steve Lambert | Published: March 28, 2009

Guest post from AAA Reader James Ewert:

KFC POTHOLE REPAIR

A certain greasy chicken franchise is adding another item to its menu: pothole patching. In Louisville, KY and potentially in a town near you, what was once a city service paid for by tax payers might become another avenue for advertising. The fried chicken restaurant extended an offer to mayors across the country to have the restaurant fill the city’s potholes and in return be allowed to affix a chalk logo to the newly paved asphalt. I know it’s a recession and all, and municipalities are feeling the pinch when it comes to typical city services like snow plowing and pothole patching, but come on; do we really need a fried chicken restaurant filling potholes for us? – James Ewert

Thanks James!  If you’re concerned about corporation sweeping into rescue us from tax cuts, see these previous posts:

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Can we make the airport any more degrading?

By Michael Mandiberg | Published: March 14, 2009

Can we get any more degrading

We have to dump all of our water, in some cases women are being forced to remove their undergarments, and of course we all have to take off our shoes, now we are forced to look at ads in the process. Not that the security check point was a particularly sacred or peaceful place anyway, but man, seeing those *really bright* ads at that moment is not the kind of branding they want. I’m thinking: “damnit, I hate shoes right now.” And then I have to stare into a box that is telling me “you love shoes. you need shoes. buy more shoes.”

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