Along Bedford Avenue in Williamsburg, Jordan Seiler of Public Ad Campaign spotted a couple billboards painted over by RAB that are reminiscent of the New York Street Advertising Takeover. While one of the ads was an illegal NPA billboard, the other is just a handpainted Colosal Media spot for the unpopular “Flydealists Unite” campaign.
Photo by Jordan Seiler
As PublicAdCampaign notes, Colossal Media is by far the least evil of the outdoor advertising companies since they have a nominal commitment to the arts. Although we weren’t so keen on them doing Banksy’s dirty work for him either, this gentrification-taunting “Welcome to Luxury” mural on North 5th and Bedford in Williamsburg central more than makes up for it.
Colossal Media just put the finishing touches on a new Banksy ad featuring a giant Wall Street rat with the words “Let Them Eat Crack” yesterday, but it’s already been tagged. A street scribe enhanced the outsourced piece, writing “Damn Rats,” and officially encouraging what will likely be a flood of ink, spray paint, or as Gothamist predicts, “fire-extinguisher tags.” |Gothamist|
(Photo: Brian ‘Money’ Ries)
The Colossal Media painted Banksy ad featuring a massive rat with an umbrella on Howard and Broadway will soon read “Let Them Eat Crack.” An eagle-eyed street scout noticed the traced out letters and snapped this photo of the work currently in progress. Well that’s certainly one way to promote your new gallery Mr. Lazarides. UPDATE: Completed ad below.
Although many successful gallery artists do employ assistants to execute their ideas or concepts, Banksy is not generally one to relegate work to others, except when it comes to NYC. In what must be a huge disappointment for street art fans, the infamous stenciler’s imagery has been popping around the city up but he didn’t paint any of them himself, instead relying on outdoor advertising company Colossal Media. Now that’s just weak. At least Nick Walker painted his own shit while in the city this past summer even if it was all legal walls. UPDATE: Jump for the almost completed rodent. |Gawker|
Have you seen Banksy’s new mural ad in Soho at Wooster and Grand? It was executed by outdoor advertising firm Colossal Media—NOT the famed vandal—that boasts H&M, Absolut, and Foot Locker among its clients. Question: does it even count if he didn’t paint it himself? |Gothamist|
Gawker confirms that Mass Appeal will publish no more. With the success of sister magazine Missbehave and Colossal Media’s business booming, putting out the former graffiti turned juvenile lifestyle magazine is just too much of a headache. Says publisher Adrian Moeller, “After 12 years of publishing Mass Appeal Magazine we’ve decided to call it quits on the print edition. We’re putting our resources into our faster growing properties, Missbehave Magazine and Colossal Media. We’re in talks to sell Mass Appeal, and it may resume publishing in the future. We’ll continue the website and special event productions.” |Gawker|
Editor-in-Chief:
