Ever see a billboard and wish you could tweak the message a little? Maybe add a new caption? Now you can.
Graphic designer Ji Lee noticed the ads blanketing his city and decided to turn some of them into public forums. He added 35,000 big blank caption bubble stickers to ads around NYC. Pedestrians were then free to scribble their own captions. Lee went back and collected photos of the results for his new book, Talk Back: The Bubble Project.
I have two favorite ads from the book. The first is a perfume ad featuring a fashion model. Her caption now reads, "Please, save me from objectification." The other is an iPod ad. The headset-wearing silhouette now says, "I steal music, and I'm not going away!"
The project is now online. You can dowload a template of the bubble sticker to make your own. You can also view some of the photos that Lee collected. They're organized into groups like Social Commentary, Politics, Philosophy, and Humor. While you're there, be sure to check out his manifesto.
Ads blanket public places. Businesses have even stooped to putting ads on the white lines between parking spaces. Everywhere you turn there's a glossy billboard telling you what to eat, what to wear, what to be. So, why not take the opportunity to talk back?
