D*Face Punks G20 With Digital Billboard

In London today, the G20 is in full swing, or rather, riot police are swinging at protesters. Local street artist D*Face took the opportunity to showcase some new work, not on the street but on digital billboards around the city. Several variations of the G20 20 pound note are being displayed with the Queen in varying states of makeup and facelifts, something D*Face has become quite good at.

So did he hack the ad space or buy it? Just over a year ago, SKULLPHONE put his character up on digital displays around LA. Some bloggers claimed their “boy” hacked into Clear Channel’s computers, but that was a lie. He actually paid for the self-advertisements. Did D*Face do the same? Read more »

Skullphone Billboards Were Bought Not Hijacked

“Right now the enigma that is known only as SKULLPHONE is easily Clear Channel Communications‘ greatest enemy in SoCal since he hijacked 10 of the advertising giant’s most prominent digital billboards around LA in Hollywood, Westwood, and the art hotspot of Culver City,” wrote Jamie O’Shea on his Supertouch blog. He continued, “Hacking into the billboard’s computer network today, our boy positioned his trademark skullphone imagery in between the array of flashing movie, TV, and auto company ads that make up the normal paid advertising barrage on the giant illuminated monitors.” Wow. Sounds cool right? Finally, some cool culture jamming styled pranks and ‘Super’ got not the exclusive from their “boy.” Except that it didn’t happen like that. Wired reports that the so-called hacked Clear Channel billboards were actually paid advertisements. Whether or not the street art panic button will be hit is yet to be determined, but for some this could easily compete with Sony’s legendary transgression. |Wired|
Photo: Curtis Kulig for Supertouch