The Ad Space That Wasn't Big Enough
If you live in Sydney then the next time you catch a bus keep an eye out for Luke Fox. He'll be the guy squished into the bottom of an ad about pigs, stating “I won this ad space in a competition. It's not big enough.”
This clever ad is an exciting new opportunity to spread awareness about the suffering endured by Australian pigs and to offer hope to them for change.
There will be 100 of these ads put up around Sydney over the next month. And one person's creativity and generosity can be thanked for making this opportunity possible ... that's right, the same fellow you see cramped at the bottom of the ad.
Animals Australia interviewed Luke Fox to find out more...
So Luke, tell us a little about yourself.
I was born in Darwin in the 70’s and I’ve lived in New Zealand and India, but mostly Sydney. Before I got into advertising at the end of 2006 I was working as a freelance editorial cartoonist. I now work full-time as a copywriter at LOUD.
How did you win 100 bus shelter ads?
To get a start in advertising I took a course called AWARD School. Run by the Australian Writers and Art Directors Association, it’s competitive. I won a prize at the end, offered by a sponsor, Adshel. They supply outdoor ad space, mostly on bus shelters. The 100 poster prize was worth over $50,000 so it was a real honour to have won and a great opportunity to do something worthwhile.
Why did you choose to help pigs with your ad space?
Advertising speaks to a broad audience, particularly outdoors. Pigs stood out for me because their plight is largely unknown to the average Australian. We have an image in our minds of what farming is: fields, mud, open air. Farming has changed, but our perception of it has not. Most reasonable people, if given the information to make their own mind up, feel uncomfortable with the way pigs are treated in these factories. So, I thought I’d try to get that information out there.
You've created a very clever design. How did you come up with the concept?
I work with an art director, Mo Shono. We wanted to focus on the message and we felt the ad should have an honest tone. So we figured we’d just tell the story which led up to the ads appearing. Putting me into the ad space was a logical extension of the thought, as was the idea of using the scale of the space to highlight the space given to breeding pigs in factory farms. The message then was clear: here’s my ad space, here’s me, and here’s what I think about factory-farmed pigs. Hopefully, the result is an ad which is unusual enough to get people’s attention, leading them to read about pigs.
Your sign directs people to www.pigad.blogspot.com.
What can people expect to find on your blog?
You can’t force this kind of information onto people. They have to seek it out. In order to make this easier we thought a blog would help. You’ll also find more of the story of how the ad was created, links to Animals Australia and even some cartoons of mine. Ideally, we’ll also get some feedback from people who’ve seen the ad.
How did you first hear about factory farming and the 6 million pigs who endure those conditions in Australia?
I became aware of it from some people I work with here at LOUD. I was surprised to learn that these animals are so badly treated and that it’s perfectly legal to do so. I felt strongly that if there was something I could do about it, I would.
While not all of us have 100 bus shelter ads to offer in aid of animals, there's still something that all of us can do. If you see this ad, let your friends know what you've learnt; donate to Animals Australia to help us fight for a better life for pigs; and visit our take action page for other tips on how to help pigs.
To read more about Luke's pig ads, visit his blog. You can even leave him a message.
37 O’Connell St,
North Melbourne
Victoria 3051, Australia
Ph: (+61) 03 9329 6333
Fax: (+61) 03 9329 6441
Freecall: 1800 888 584
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