For every good ad, is a good anti ad. March 2, 2010

With advertising covering just about everything in the modern world, there is barely any ad-free space left untouched. We are bombarded with thousands of messages a day – from radio, television, billboards and magazines to environmental graphics and signs. It is true that great ad campaigns characterize culture, political movements and eras. On the other hand, this over saturation of force fed communication has given birth to powerful and elusive culture jammers who seek to reverse the message. Here are collection of the more edgy ad spoofs out there today.

Anti-alcohol and anti drinking and driving advocates from Adbusters have attacked the Absolut Voka campain.
A flexible campaign can be easily flexed by its opposition. Here is the original campaign:

Here is the ad bust:

In another case, the ever so controversial Joe Camel from Camel cigarettes was reproduced with a more stark message from its anti-smoking activists at Adbusters.

The original campaign:

The ad bust:

In another case for anti-smoking advocacy, the iconic Malboro country ads were represented in a more realistic fashion.

The originial campaigns

The bust:

The spoofing doesn’t end there. There is an ever increasing movement of awareness for the use of physically perfect super models in adverts and their effects on today’s children. In this case, the Calvin Klein ad campaign was replaced with a more realistic approach.

The original campaign:

The realistic approach:

No one is safe from spoofers. Activists continue to find ways to make their bold statements known.

The comparison between the in your face advertising techniques by large corporations and urban graffiti have been brought to light by activists who argue that both form are essentially an invasion of personal and public space.

The original by the community group Graffiti Watch:

The spoof:

And perhaps the easiest target of them all…

Those who have the most questionable interests and spend the most on advertising will always be the most vulnerable to spoofing.

Nico is Principal at Bureau and an honours graduate Cambrian College's Graphic Design program. He is a founding member of the Sudbury Design Society and a Provisional member of RGD Ontario.