Does Adbusters successfully obstruct the consumerist experience?
“This is the Meme War that will decide our fate. And to win this war, we must re-examine all assumptions, all rules, all habits of mind that have delivered us to this perilous moment.” - Adbusters
Adbusters is a collective of graphic designers, artists and many other creative designers whose aim is to effectively ‘bust’ adverts, this is in reference to their anti-consumerist goals. They do this via digital and web-based content ranging from articles to posters and even real adverts themselves known as subvertisements, meaning they subvert the original meaning of the advert to mock and overall make a parody of their advert. They fight to counter consumerism or in the very least, bring awareness to it.
Moving on to a very influential graphic designer within the Adbuster’s collective called Jonathan Barnbrook. Barnbrook has popularly worked with Adbusters on numerous occasions, not only is this helpful to their cause it demonstrates Barnbrook’s stance on the overall campaign being that even if paid Barnbrook only works with people or groups whose campaign he agrees with.
I aim to consider the effectiveness of their movement within not only the design world, but the commercial world as well. I will also consider how they’ve fueled and sustained their movement as well as the designers and movements that invigorated and further constructed it.
Adbusters is an organization built around activists in the form of artists, writers and many more creative industries. It’s an organization that is completely nonprofit and challenges consumerism as we know it through spoofs and completely read friendly articles and content alike, spoofs being parodies emulating normal consumerist advertisements however these dissuade the viewer from wanting to buy the content or whatever the advert would be trying to sell, for example a leather bag would be instead criticized for the leather it’s using.
These “uncommercials” being also manufactured in forms of completely free and readable journals and articles, as an example most famously the ‘Talking Rainforest’ is well renowned for being Adbuster’s very first uncommercial, these types of commercials were aimed at people who won't take into consideration environmentalism and via fighting fire with fire, they’re going to watch advertisements for hours just like their consumerist's ads, however they reinforce a message of anti-consumerism that have been previously drilled in subconsciously already. Now as you would have already guessed Adbusters have already been criticized for using this method of anti-advertising, by obviously using the same methods as consumerists to “indoctrinate” the same way they do but we’ll get to that later.
In case you didn’t already know Consumerism is and importantly pertaining to this, consumerism advertising is a social and economic order that persuades its viewers and listeners into buying into or for lack of a better word “consuming” products and services more and more as the days go by, Adbusters is famously deifying this as well as actively trying to reinforce what some people would describe as the opposite being environmentalism type movements that are helpful nonmaterialistic ideals for society. We’ll also later go into whether the Adbusters campaign has made a dent in consumerism or if it’s knocking on its door.
Now to continue our delve into Adbusters “uncommercials and “subvertisements”. I will be looking over and analyzing two similar Adbusters posters to give a brief example of how these anti-commercial posters carry themselves.
“Nearly 50% of Automobile Fatalities are linked to alcohol. 10% of North Americans are alcoholics. A teenager sees 100,000 alcohol ads before reaching the legal drinking age”
Absolut is one of many that’ve been mocked by Adbusters, a company selling vodka that has been parodied multiple times by Adbusters to show the recklessness when it comes to advertising alcoholic beverages without filter, making crude yet factual remarks in one of their most well-known posters ’Absolut Impotence’ in a clear demonstration of the effects of overconsumption. This poster is no exception and is yet another mockery of the product not leaving much to the imagination and this time shedding light on the darker side within the confines of the issue.
Moving on to the image, straight away this poster hits you and emits very dark tone, stemming from the red light that stands out from the otherwise dark and gritty pallet, after being hit by the looming crimson we’re then greeted by a chalk outline which solidifies and reinforces the theme. The poster is a small, confined portrait which lends well to the evident dark theme it conveys, it makes it seem like a small incident, while also alluding to the fact that it may be one of many through it’s almost claustrophobic space as the poster is filled with character yet only a couple people and objects are present.
The poster makes use of its color well first showing signs of alert and panic when we’re greeted by the red lights above, then consuming the vodka’s chalk outline in the slowly enveloping shadows where we’re shown the usual protagonists of crime scenes. This contrast in color when introducing the scene may allude to the fact that they’re unfazed and undoubtably used to seeing the scene unfold only to reveal alcohol to be the real antagonist.
The scene is then completed when our eyes have sufficiently wandered and eventually brought back to the center of the image where the cracked and rough concrete is the cynosure and is where the alarming and dark themes blend and become neutral, bringing the viewer back down to reality when considering possibilities after thorough exploration of the image. The emotion of the texture really brings the whole theme together, wedding the grit to this dark theme.
Now moving on to a very iconic and influential poster. This being well known as the poster that was made prior to the ’occupy wall street’ movement, another movement in which Adbusters proposed a peaceful occupation of WallStreet in order to oppose and protest the corporate influence on democracy.
At a glance one can evidently and immediately spot the monotone colors used in this illustration, what this image does very well and what I was hit with straight away is the clear contrast between the ’rioters’ and the woman gracefully dancing atop the steel bull amid the chaos signifying the call the need and the desire for a peaceful protest.
Speaking of contrast the artist made a clear barrier that can be seen near the bull’s right foot, this clearly shows the contrast between the peaceful protester atop the bull and the chaos that that is unfolding beyond the fog. I also want to bring to attention how well the texture of the steel bull and pale cobblestone lends to the monotone theme of the image, it is not dark however can be interpreted as a calm and understanding tone, with a simple request. This calming tone is however shattered by the crimson red text ”what is our one demand”, this departure in tone signifies the importance of their demands and the seriousness of the topic despite the calm and desolate themes displayed.
This cardinal text, accompanied by the chaos beyond the fog may suggest that there may have to be a balance between the two in order to reach a certain understanding or further change. This suggestion was reinforced by the violent faunal nature in which the bull had been sculpted in, all while having grace dance atop it, this reinforces the contrast within the image and is the center peace when it comes to contrast within the image. As we zoom further out the contrast between the peace and chaos becomes more blurred which infers the uncertainty that comes with every protest or movement.
I want to expand on the nature of the organization and what international campaigns and activism it rallies behind and against, introducing campaign days such as “buy nothing day” which also inspired other campaign days such as “buy nothing Christmas” later renamed as “occupy xmas” , days like these we’re clearly made in mind to obviously deter consumerism as well as to ambiguously give not necessary the activists but to perhaps give the opportunity for a receptive look at consumerism to its onlookers. As well as not forcing beliefs onto them but merely planting a seed of doubt that eventually shows them that the materialistic life they may lead may not be as “good” as it is normalized.
The campaigns produced by Adbusters go far and beyond the calling of their titles, days such as “buy nothing day” doesn’t just include abstinence from purchase but also abstinence from unnecessary expenditure of electricity and in some situation's materialistic goods. This included turning off their phones and chargers as well as their televisions, non-essential appliances turned off, they also parked their cars and did this for a whole twenty-four hours.
This is just one of the many ways Adbusters activism have not particularly impacted consumerism as the criticisms may infer but they may show and “convert” unaware consumerists the curiosity and drive to research it’s impacts themselves by looking into the organization that inspired and launched these huge international campaigns. So, despite the criticism from other journalists and organizations this proves that although Adbuster’s grip on consumerism may be loose it at least gives the push to bystanders to help broaden their picture by a little and help tighten that grip.
Now then it’s time to talk about what we went over briefly regarding these anti-advertisements spoofs also known as uncommercials and subvertisements that challenge, and actively mock consumerist adverts made to link identity and culture with typical day-to-day products. Now this is known as culture jamming as you may have already guessed from previous information apart from physical movements and campaigns launched, culture jamming is the main and densely populated form in which anti-consumerist activists use to dispute and confront consumerism, with it just so happing to be Adbusters favorite way to do so. To expand on the brief example I gave, these subvertisements and uncommercials are made to be blatant and hopefully recognizable parodies of popular brands and brand mottos.
“Designers, stay away from corporations that want you to lie for them.” - Jonathan Barnbrook
In the wake of the issues covered and the points raised, I am inclined to root for their movement, I consider it to be a very predominant movement in not exclusively the digital art industry but also the commercial industry.
While analyzing and studying the work of the well renown designers who helped influence and promote Adbusters I found artists like Barnbrook who at their core well and truly believe in and unconsciously promote the work Adbusters strive toward.
The success and influence Adbusters have had on the commercial and industrial world really shines with the incredibly successful and well-known movements such as ‘buy nothing day’ and the ‘occupy’ movement. So, despite the criticisms Adbusters effectiveness, I strongly believe that on this steady rise in influence and popularity as well as with the help of its creative designers it will eventually achieve its goals to a satisfactory extent.