Comments on: Thugs defacing billboard property

By: NatMc

NatMc — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 17:36:30 +0000

Funny how the author thinks it was “little loser bastards” who (supposedly) were altering an intrusive, unpaid-for mobile ad that was both making their neighborhood look worse and insulting it all at the same time.

And then it turned out it was planned (and thus all the more offensive to the residents) all along. Jonathan Cherry, hows about giving thinking a try next time?

By: WaynO

WaynO — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 12:35:47 +0000

yep, it was intentional.
Im one of the guys who worked on it. The graffiti and posters were done intentionally, but after a while it was vandalised for “real” i.e. the ripping in the middle and the missing wheel, adding to the concept further.
It was done by Ogilvy Cape Town for their client Property24, in order to get people to visit their website.

By: shebeen

shebeen — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 14:37:08 +0000

yip definitely intentional guys? come on! Saw it about a month ago, and took a picture myself. it’s on the phone somewhere.
only thing is, this was in Constantia near Uitsig, not the worst neighbourhood around (and my parents would be offended!)

By: Jay

Jay — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 06:49:24 +0000

I saw this same trailer parked near Tygervalley Centre, Bellville over the weekend, and couldn’t believe that it would be defaced so quickly, thinking whats happening to this neighborhood. Now seeing it on this site it all makes sense, and was an incredibly effective advert. Good work Media 24!

By: Karen Lotter

Karen Lotter — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 04:03:22 +0000

Ja, I wondered about the tagging when I first had a look, seemed to me like it was positioned by a graphic designer. Are companies just allowed to park their advertising trailers like that on open ground?

By: coda

coda — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 12:16:15 +0000

I’d love to see some offended local graf artists take some real paint to the ad, that would make my day!

By: Colin Seymour

Colin Seymour — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 14:39:27 +0000

I’d say this is intentional and part of the whole advert and a brilliant way of getting the point across.
Note how the graffiti “conveniently” avoids the writing and logo in the box along the bottom and doesn’t occur at all on the back. Also note how the tag on the left stops perfectly with the black edging. Taggers are more interested in getting their tag on and hauling arse before they get caught. They wouldn’t worry about trying to not get paint on the “nice shiney black bits”.
Oh, and the trailer is pinned/supported between the missing wheel and the dolly wheel (probably so it doesn’t fall over when the wind blows).
This is just South African advertising at it’s best.

By: Fish

Fish — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 14:02:47 +0000

Good to see an illegal trailer defaced. As for the wheel being removed, it’s quite common for the operators/billboard squatters to remove a wheel so that their trailer can’t be towed away by the Metro Police.
If it was tagged on purpose it’s a good bit of creative…

By: Marcel

Marcel — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 11:53:33 +0000

I’m pretty sure that was all intentional. Great idea if it was!
If it wasn’t intentional, the value of that piece of marketing just increased because now it’s conversational & attention-commanding. Even including the cost of cleaning the trailer & replacing the tyre.
Life imitating marketing imitating art?

By: Jonathan

Jonathan — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 11:46:37 +0000

Are you sure it is not intentional?
as in, The graffiti is a part of the advert?
It fits in perfectly with the line “Looking for a better neighbourhood?”