UNITED KINGDOM / AGILITYPR.NEWS / May 21, 2020 /  

BILLBOARD POSITIVE

Billboard sites across London are being used to spread positive messages in a campaign involving UK designers, artists and musicians such as Chrissie Hynde and Coldplay. 

Outdoor advertising agency Brotherhood Media is using its sites to lift the spirits of Londoners – by filling their space usually taken by record releases or fashion brands for creations that are not selling a product but just promoting good vibes.

Among the giant posters is a design by Chrissie Hynde “Go NHS”, a design by Coldplay “Believe in Love” and then in tribute to the frontline workers, a Bowie-inspired billboard “National Heroes” from the people of Brixton, designed by Creative Director at Goldbug, Jason Panudy. 

Featured artists who have created their own designs include the Pet Shop Boys, Deacon Blue and Raissa Pardini. Sites include Camden, Shoreditch, Shepherd’s Bush, Notting Hill, New Cross, Brixton and Bethnal Green. A new design is being unveiled everyday via its Instagram account.

Brotherhood co-founder Dom Murphy said: “As specialists in out of home, we were obviously hit hard once the reality of lockdown set in, but we quickly decided to turn it into a positive. Whilst so many parts of London came to a standstill, there were still people out and about whether they were key workers or locals getting their hour of exercise. We felt it was important to keep our billboard sites fresh and uplifting so we could maybe brighten up their day a little. 

“London has always been a hub of creativity so we reached out to our clients, designers, artists and musicians, and they didn't let us down. The brief we gave was simply for positivity, it could be meaningful, abstract, amusing. The only rule was that it couldn't be selling anything.

"We’ve received so many submissions from independent designers, through to paintings by Chrissie Hynde and a photograph from Coldplay. It's been wonderful connecting with such a wide range of designers and artists and seeing what they have to say – and we’re still going.”

Jason Panudy, Creative Director at agency Goldbug – who was behind Brixton’s David Bowie-inspired billboard – said: “When our team spotted the shout out for artists and designers to create something positive for Brotherhood’s billboards, I thought it was such brilliant idea. These huge spaces that we’re used to seeing filled with advertising take on such a different tone when they’re not selling something, but simply brightening up their communities with some colour and positivity. With some of our team living in and around Brixton, its connection with Bowie and Heroes being the perfect song to some up how everyone’s feeling about our frontline NHS workers, mine pretty much designed itself."