Archive for September, 2010

Stella Artois, A Thing of Beauty

Thursday, September 30th, 2010

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We at the BLF have been assisting fatigued advertising copywriters to strengthen their corporate messages for over thirty years. Advertising is the language of our Culture, as BLF CEO Jack Napier noted almost as many years ago. And the primary use of language is to to communicate ideas. The most efficient and direct communication of an idea comes through the most elegant use of the least amount of words to communicate that idea. It’s quite clear from the image in this Stella Artois billboard ad what the message IS. The BLF merely wishes to assist this campaign by paring down the words in order to match that message most perfectly. – BLF Education Officer, R.O. Thornhill.

The improvement can be seen at 38th St and 8th Ave in midtown New York.

The BLF (www.billboardliberation.com) has been improving outdoor advertising since 1977. Prior campaigns have included work for Exxon, R.J. Reynolds, and Apple Computers.

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BLF Featured in: Trespass. A History of Uncommissioned Urban Art

Sunday, September 12th, 2010

The BLF is very pleased to be one of the featured “artists” in the soon to be released Taschen compendium on “Street Art” entitled Trespass. This heavy hitting tome promises to be the final word on the gamut of criminal artists (not merely graph guys). It is written by the premier world authority on weirdo underground artists, Paper Magazine editor, and general all around cool guy, Carlo McCormick. It is produced by the excellent Wooster Collective’s Marc & Sarah Schiller, long time supporters and promoters of crazy kids with crayons that should know better. When originally asked by Carlo to contribute to this book a couple of years ago, I was thrilled and a little apprehensive. Tashen: what beautiful books! A joy to be in, I was sure. “But Carlo….. do we have to take our clothes of for a group shot?!?!?!?”

From the producers:

“With over 300 pages of works by more than 150 artists, Trespass ultimately brings together into one book four generations of artists that include Jean Tinguely, Philippe Petit, Paolo Buggiani, Duke Riley, Spencer Tunick, Keith Haring, Os Gemeos, Jenny Holzer, Barry McGee, Gordon Matta-Clark, Shepard Fairey, Blu, Billboard Liberation Front, Guerrilla Girls and Banksy, among others. Every photograph in the book is of work that was unauthorized and lacked permission. Commissioned work, even if the photographs were absolutely spectacular, is not included.”

The launch for the book is to be at the Taschen store in Manhattan on September 29th. I’ll be there. C’mom down and buy me a drink.