Graphic Art

LUPUS HOSPITAL

Guerrilla advertising should be allowed.

In reading the article “Guerrilla Art Versus Guerrilla Advertising: What’s the Difference”, by the author Delana, I came across several reasons why Guerrilla adverting should be allowed. The goal of advertising is to sell you something, while the goal of art is less easy to define. “Guerrilla art states a political message, subverts a common belief, exists simply for the pleasure of the beholder, or any number of other reasons.” “The numbers of advertisements all around us, many companies have figured out that the corporate penalties for unlicensed guerrilla advertisements are rarely enforced. When they are enforced, the fines are usually so small that they cost much less than the permits would have. Because of this, unlicensed guerrilla ads have been on the rise in recent years.” “Artist do their best to promote their own ideals, whether those to be freedom of expression, the right to display their art, reclaiming the urban landscape, culture jamming, subvertising, or simply creating something beautiful and meaningful. Ads that are created by respected street artists share space with the typically polished ads from professional advertisers. In the article “Sony Draws Ire with PSP Graffiti”, written by Ryan Singel, he states that “permission-based graffiti programs, created by graffiti artists and with the art work placed only on leased surfaces, have become a hot way of reaching consumers, and several companies with graffiti programs in cities as over making programs available to advertisers.”

Guerrilla advertising should be stopped.

In reading the article “Opinionist: Corporate Graffiti”, written by Jake Dobkin, I came across opinions of the author, as well as facts why Guerrilla advertising should be stopped. He states “It’s exploitive: the local street artists that are hired to paint these pieces risk arrest, and it's almost guaranteed that ad agency won't be bailing them out if they get popped.” “When, a major corporation hires poor artists to commit a crime, that's majorly exploitive. Appropriating the authenticity of street art to promote a product is totally lame.” “Neighborhoods don't like it. It's bad enough that we have to put up with all the regular corporate advertising in our neighborhoods. You've got ads on bus stops and telephone booths and walls and billboards and on our TVs and in our magazines and newspapers. It's illegal.” “Even if the cost of the fines is built into the campaigns, having all those articles written about how you are breaking the law-- that can't be good for your corporate reputation.”