Subvertising is defined as the practice of making paradise of corporate and political advertisements, it is portmanteau of the word subvert and advertising. The purpose of subvertising is to make a change by presenting recognizable images, that can make viewers realize the message behind what it is trying to portray.
I believe subvertising is an intelligent way to attract people’s attention, our eyes does not appeal to the things that are dull and lifeless. Therefore, the concept of subvertising truly investigated the consumer psychology. ‘I think environmental and social movements have been getting a lot smarter about how we campaign against corporate abuse and we can use a company’s PR channels and branding against itself in creative ways,’ (McAuliffe.2011) Subvertising did not gain approval from everyone but it result in visual pollution instead. In 2007, the city in Brazil, Sao Paulo banned outdoors advertising to combat the prolific ‘Visual pollution’ in the world fourth-largest metropolis. (Ottery 2011)
From my own point of view, i agree subvertising exist when there is a need of change. We all know Mc Donald’s sells unhealthy food, food with high fat, sugar, sodium and low fibre and vitamins, It is unfortunate that all unhealthy food is most delicious. Subvertisments of Mc Donald’s is common because it appears on billboards that we might have seen.
Subvertising often appears on billboards because it is the most effective way to communicate with people’s unconscious mind. Billboards should be used as a medium for public expression, protest and social communication rather than for private commercialism. They state that their work is not ‘illegal’ but instead ‘un-voicible’ within a dominant ideology of consumerism and corporate power. (Bell, Goodwin 2012). Since subverts can be used by anyone and does not have to be politically radical, it should be encouraged and allow people to have their right to public what they believe in.
References:
Behance.net. (2016). Behance. [online] Available at: https://www.behance.net/gallery/11565115/McDonalds-Subvertising [Accessed 12 Mar. 2016].
The Ecologist. (2016). Subvertising: billboard ads for the public interest. [online] Available at: http://www.theecologist.org/campaigning/culture_change/881357/subvertising_billboard_ads_for_the_public_interest.html [Accessed 12 Mar. 2016].
M.S 