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ABSTRACT
This article explores creative activism for environmentalism through an examination of culture jamming. Specifically, it looks to the action of the Brandalism project during COP21. This was the replacement of bus stop advertising with original artworks. This form of creative activism is unique in that it addresses the advertising industry as a key battlefield over cultural meaning and environmental sustainability. Through its use of the logic of appropriation inherent in culture jamming, this case challenges critiques about the incorporation of culture jamming within consumer culture. This work theorizes the case through the new politics of consumption, political consumerism, and culture jamming. It argues for the logic of appropriation, before it introduces the case study and explores the visual narratives of environmentalism: corporate greed, inadequate politicians, consumer saturation, Earth in mourning, and public commitment to the environment. Finally, it evaluates the contribution of Brandalism as a form of creative activism for environmentalism.
Notes
1 http://www.brandalism.org.uk (March 20, 2016).
2 http://www.brandalism.org.uk/artists (March 18, 2016).
3 Culture jamming is “an attempt to reverse and transgress the meaning of cultural codes whose primary aim is to persuade us to buy something or be someone” (Jordan, Citation2002, p. 102).
4 Beyond buycotts (ecologically sustainable consumption), there are also boycotts (of environmentally damaging companies), discursive political consumerism (creative forms of environmental activism), and lifestyle politics (dedication to sustainable lifestyles).
5 These are: (a) new allocation of time, (b) do-it-yourself (DIY) and self-provision, (c) “true materialism” as an environmentally aware approach to consumption, and (d) the restoration of value in interpersonal and community exchanges.
6 Lifestyle politics includes commitments to alternative lifestyles such as vegetarianism, veganism, or voluntary simplicity. The term is derived from Duane Elgin’s (Citation1981) book with the same title in which he advocates modest consumer habits, a sense of environmental urgency, sustainable spaces, and meaningful community lives.
7 http://www.brandalism.org.uk/artists/gilf?photo_id=565a1774920f470006000010 (March 21, 2016).
8 LeBasic is the Bureau for the Appraisal of Societal Impacts for Citizen Information.
9 These are Accor, BNP Paribas, Carrefour, EDF, Engie (former GDF Suez), Kering, L’Oréal, LVMH, Michelin, and Renault.
10 In an unofficial biography of Banksy, Ellsworth-Jones (Citation2013, p. 104) writes: “If you are in the street art world you know who Swoon, Faile, Fairey, Vhils, Inkie, ESPO, Blu, Mode2, Paul Insect and many, many others are.”
11 https://twitter.com/BrandalismUK (March 18, 2016).
12 http://www.brandalism.org.uk (March 18, 2016).
13 The press material was gathered between November 2015 and January 2016, as Brandalism mentioned in personal correspondence with the author.
14 In personal correspondence, Brandalism, highlights that “their strategy is very in keeping with the suggestions and advice in this law paper” (Smith-Anthony & Groom, Citation2015).
15 These are available through www.brandalism.org.uk/artists (November 17, 2016).
16 http://www.brandalism.org.uk/artists/revolt-design?photo_id=5659b4f4df6abc000e000073 (March 21, 2016).
17 Red Lines is the theme of the climate demonstration backed by 350.org, Attac France, Reclaim the Power, Climate Justice Action, Global Justice Now, and Climate Games, among others.
18 http://www.brandalism.org.uk/artists/barnbrook?photo_id=565b5a52ed0e8c000e000017 (March 21, 2016).
19 D12 stands for December 12, the day of the climate demonstration (http://d12.paris).
20 http://www.brandalism.org.uk/artists/bill-posters (March 21, 2016).
21 http://www.brandalism.org.uk/artists/bill-posters?photo_id=56599658df6abc000e00003d (March 21, 2016).
22 http://www.brandalism.org.uk/artists/eube?photo_id=5659a0e1df6abc000e00004a (March 21, 2016).
23 http://www.brandalism.org.uk/artists/sam3?photo_id=5659a5c4df6abc0006000047 (March 21, 2016).
24 http://www.brandalism.org.uk/artists/kai-giuseppin?photo_id=565ca9d272b01b0006000030 (March 21, 2016).
25 http://www.brandalism.org.uk/artists/ben-parry?photo_id=565992c6df6abc0006000027 (March 21, 2016).
26 http://www.brandalism.org.uk/artists/millo?photo_id=5659ccc69bdfca000b000009 (March 21, 2016).
27 http://www.brandalism.org.uk/artists/kennard-phillips?photo_id=5659b7dbdf6abc0016000093 (March 21, 2016).
28 http://www.brandalism.org.uk/artists/paul-ins?photo_id=565b6085ed0e8c000600002b (March 21, 2016).
29 http://www.brandalism.org.uk/artists/parisians?photo_id=565a1994920f470006000011 (March 21, 2016).
30 http://www.brandalism.org.uk/artists/gilf?photo_id=565a1774920f470006000010 (March 21, 2016).