This year-long guerrilla art project involved replacing outdoor advertising on New York City payphone kiosks with artwork. In 2018, Art in Ad Places is getting its own exhibition and book as well.
Artists Caroline Caldwell and RJ Rushmore began the public service campaign in response to advertisements preying on women's insecurities. The two would replace phone booth ads with art from a different artist on a weekly basis, which would then be photographed by Luna Park. However, as with the nature of a guerrilla art project, much of the art was removed quickly. But the documentary photography lives on in the form of a new book and an upcoming exhibit at Brooklyn's Lucas Lucas Gallery.
Art in Ad Places speaks to a growing resentment towards traditional advertising and a growing body positivity movement.
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Public Art Campaigns
- Opportunities for artists and brands to collaborate on public art campaigns that replace traditional advertising with artwork.
- Guerrilla Marketing
- Industries can explore guerrilla marketing tactics to disrupt traditional advertising methods and engage with consumers in unexpected ways.
- Body Positivity Movement
- Opportunities for brands to align with the body positivity movement and create empowering ad campaigns that promote self-acceptance and inclusivity.
Where This Applies
- Advertising
- Disruptive innovation opportunities for the advertising industry to embrace alternative advertising methods that prioritize art and creativity.
- Art and Design
- Opportunities for artists and designers to utilize public spaces as platforms to showcase their work and challenge traditional notions of art display.
- Publishing
- Potential for the publishing industry to release books and exhibitions that document and celebrate unconventional art projects and campaigns.
