Street artists have taken to London's billboards in a 'subvertising campaign' - rebelling against the strict advertising regulations of the Olympic Games, and the backdrop of materialism to the looting last summer.
The guerrilla campaign is being led by six international artists, including Banksy collaborator Paul Insect. They have plastered their work over adverts in the lead-up to the Olympics to "challenge the destructive impacts of the advertising industry", they say.
Criticism has come from many quarters over the branding regulations for the London Games, and this has been the catalyst for this present campaign.
There have been similar acts in the past though. Bill Posters, the artist behind the now-famous Nike Brandalism of Wayne Rooney clutching shopping bags, saying “Just Loot It” says it's also about commercialism in general. He explains: "The ad industry creates pressure when they manipulate our needs and desires." He believes this is partly why so many Londoners went on a 'smash and grab' during last year's riots.
There has been such a trend for 'subvertising' that over the past month, the price comparison site Go Compare has even joined in. Their TV adverts featuring an opera singer are known to be so intensely irritating that their billboards now come pre-sprayed with abuse such as “Go and get some singing lessons”, “Go jump off a cliff”, “Go get a new job”.
www.brandalism.org.uk
