Artists, Open for Business: How Graffiti Went From Illegal to Hired
There was a time when graffiti was an eyesore you’d want to scrub off. Now it’s a way to attract eyeballs to your business.
CNN News reports on a trend in South America that’s made its way up north as an advertising vehicle for edgy start-ups. Business owners are increasingly employing graffiti artists, who once symbolized youthful rebelliousness and recklessness, as a hip way to establish brand identity.
Graffiti advertising is a form of guerrilla marketing, a low-cost and unconventional campaign that utilizes local music and fashion trends (and is therefore aimed at younger target audiences) to draw attention to a product or service.
The concept dates back to the 1980s as a way for upstart SMBs to create “brand buzz” without the expense of traditional marketing. It has increasingly been adopted by large corporations (see, for example, this graffiti ad for Mr. Clean) and is popular in large cities such as New York, Paris, Berlin and London. While it may no longer be as edgy as it once was, it remains an effective, unqiue and eyecatching way for businesses to get the attention of their customers outside.
(Source: Business Pundit)
