Robert Montgomery along with twenty-five artists have just completed the world’s first international collaborative ‘subvertising campaign’ by taking over 35 billboards across Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol and London.

Montgomery received an overwhelming response from readers after an article was published by The Independent earlier this year about the artist plastering poetry over advertisements. For the most part, readers were in favor of Montgomery’s work:

 “I love an intelligent response to advertising. Who asked the public if we want our faces filled with adverts as we walk the streets?” and “Hooray! More of this. Everyone should start doing this to adverts”.

This new movement has been nicknamed ‘Brandalism’ and has quickly spread through out Britain,  Australia and America.

Bill Posters, who famously subverted a Nike advert of Wayne Rooney clutching shopping bags with the tagline, ‘Just Loot It’, says: “The advertising industry creates pressure when they manipulate our needs and desires. Pressure to have the latest gear, clothes and phones. This pressure erupted when kids took to the streets across the country to claim what they had been told that they needed.”

“We’re lab rats for ad execs who exploit our fears and insecurities through consumerism. I’m a human being, not a consumer. So by taking these billboards, we are taking these spaces back. If Sao Paolo in Brazil can ban all outdoor advertising, so can we”.

To read the original article by Matilda Battersby, please visit: www.independent.co.uk