# Subvertising

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Parody advertising

Two billboards with the same original content; the billboard on the right is an example of subvertising after being vandalized.

The [ExxonMobil](/source/ExxonMobil) logo as subverted by [Greenpeace](/source/Greenpeace).

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**Subvertising** (a [portmanteau](/source/Portmanteau) of *[subvert](/source/Subversion_(political))* and *advertising*) is the practice of making spoofs or [parodies](/source/Parody) of [corporate](/source/Corporation) and [political](/source/Politics) [advertisements](/source/Advertising).[1] The cultural critic [Mark Dery](/source/Mark_Dery) coined the term in 1991.[2] Subvertisements are anti-ads that deflect advertising's attempts to turn the people's attention in a given direction.[3] According to author [Naomi Klein](/source/Naomi_Klein), subvertising offers a way of speaking back to advertising, ‘forcing a dialogue where before there was only a declaration.’[4] They may take the form of a new image or an alteration to an existing image or icon, often in a [satirical](/source/Satire) manner.[5]

A subvertisement can also be referred to as a [meme hack](/source/Meme_hack) and can be a part of [social hacking](/source/Social_hacking), [billboard hacking](/source/Billboard_hacking) or [culture jamming](/source/Culture_jamming).[6] Although he rarely altered physical ads, American performance artist [Joey Skaggs](/source/Joey_Skaggs)' media interventions function as subvertisements. By parodying authoritative narratives and co-opting mass communication tools, he delivers countercultural messages which align with subvertising's intent to disrupt and critique dominant cultural messages using the very channels that propagate them.[7]

According to *[Adbusters](/source/Adbusters)*, a [Canadian](/source/Canada) magazine and a proponent of counter-culture and subvertising, "A well-produced 'subvert' mimics the look and feel of the targeted ad, promoting the classic '[double-take](/source/Double-take_(comedy))' as viewers suddenly realize they have been duped. Subverts create [cognitive dissonance](/source/Cognitive_dissonance), with the apparent aim of cutting through the '[hype](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/hype) and glitz of our mediated reality' to reveal a 'deeper truth within'.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]

Subvertising is a type of *advertising hijacking* (*détournement publicité*), where [détournement](/source/D%C3%A9tournement) techniques developed in the 1950s by the French [Letterist International](/source/Letterist_International) and later used by the better-known [Situationist International](/source/Situationist_International) have been used as a contemporary critical form to re-route advertising messages.

## Notable instances

In 1972, the logo of Richard Nixon's re-election campaign posters was subverted with two x's in Nixon's name (as in the [Exxon](/source/Exxon) logo) to suggest the corporate ownership of the Republican Party.[8][9]

In [Sydney](/source/Sydney), [Australia](/source/Australia) in October 1979, a group of anti-smoking activists formed a group called [B.U.G.A.U.P.](/source/Billboard_Utilising_Graffitists_Against_Unhealthy_Promotions) and began altering the text on tobacco billboards to subvert the messages of tobacco advertisers, although advertisements for other unhealthy products were also targeted.[10][11]

On November 6, 2008, [The Yes Men](/source/The_Yes_Men) recruited thousands of social activists to hand out 100,000 copies of a spoof *New York Times* newspaper set six months in the future.[12] The goal was to utilize a tangible and trusted medium, the *New York Times*, to argue for a particular future, in that case, one where the [Iraq War](/source/Iraq_War) had ended. Other groups involved with this project included [Anti-Advertising Agency](/source/Steve_Lambert), [Code Pink](/source/Code_Pink), [United for Peace and Justice](/source/United_for_Peace_and_Justice), [May First/People Link](/source/May_First%2FPeople_Link), and [Improv Everywhere](/source/Improv_Everywhere).[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]

At the 2015 Paris COP21 climate conference, the collective known as [Brandalism](/source/Brandalism) installed 600 posters that attacked what they perceived as the hypocrisy of corporate sponsors.[13]

In 2017, Brandalism and other groups of subvertisers founded the collective Subvertisers International.[14] Using billboard hacking and other forms of subvertising, they promote the idea that advertising creates unhealthy body images, impacts democracy negatively, and sustains a culture of [consumerism](/source/Consumerism) that takes a heavy toll on the planet.

Around 2018, a group in London called Legally Black changed the race of the characters in Harry Potter posters from white to black.[13], a similar tactic has been used by the [Twitter](/source/Twitter)/X user "VLONEPREDATOR" on a wide variety of Twitter users & public figures. Including [Andrew Tate](/source/Andrew_Tate) and [JD Vance](/source/JD_Vance).

In 2022, billboards in London, Bristol, Manchester, Sheffield, Brighton, and 11 other European cities, were hijacked to highlight the role of airline emissions in the [climate crisis](/source/Climate_crisis). They highlighted the large [carbon footprint](/source/Carbon_footprint) of flying, that the majority of flights are taken by a tiny fraction of the total population, and that airlines have missed all but one of the industry’s self-imposed [sustainability](/source/Sustainability) targets.[15]

From July to August 2022 4,000 posters #RacismoNeon were placed across central Mexico City where advertising and marketing companies are located. Designed to generate a conversation on Decolonizing Mexican Advertising in order to "remove colonial thinking" from ads and increase the number of People of Colour (Mestizos) shown in Advertising. The poster campaign was inspired by the posters of [Situationist](/source/Situationist_International) International. [16]

In January 2025, German police began investigating the distribution of political fliers from the far‑right [Alternative für Deutschland](/source/Alternative_f%C3%BCr_Deutschland) party that closely resembled airline tickets and targeted "illegal immigrants". The fliers were placed in the mailboxes of people living in immigrant areas. [Karlsruhe](/source/Karlsruhe) criminal police said they are seeking "persons unknown on suspicion of incitement of racial hatred".[17]

## See also

- [Steve Lambert](/source/Steve_Lambert) – American artist (born 1976)

- [Brandalism](/source/Brandalism) – UK activist artist collective (2012-)

- [CODEPINK](/source/Code_Pink) – US pacifist, anti-war organization

- [Criticism of advertising](/source/Criticism_of_advertising)

- [Culture jamming](/source/Culture_jamming) – Form of protest to subvert media culture

- [Cultures of Resistance](/source/Iara_Lee) – Brazilian filmmaker and activist (born 1966)

- *[Czech Dream](/source/Czech_Dream)*

- [Darren Cullen (cartoonist)](/source/Darren_Cullen_(cartoonist)) – British artist and political cartoonistPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets

- [Doppelgänger brand image](/source/Doppelg%C3%A4nger_brand_image) – Parody logo highlighting ethical isssues

- [Hungarian Two Tailed Dog Party](/source/Hungarian_Two_Tailed_Dog_Party) – Political party in HungaryPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets

- [Improv Everywhere](/source/Improv_Everywhere) – Comedic performance art group based in New York City

- [May First/People Link](/source/May_First%2FPeople_Link)

- [Meme hack](/source/Meme_hack) – Artistic stylePages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets

- [United for Peace and Justice](/source/United_for_Peace_and_Justice) – US coalition of peace organizations

- *[Wacky Packages](/source/Wacky_Packages) – Trading cards featuring parodies of consumer products*

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-state_1-0)** Barley, Alexander (May 21, 2001). ["Battle of the image"](http://www.newstatesman.com/node/153475). *[New Statesman](/source/New_Statesman)*. Retrieved 2010-12-09.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Dekeyser, Thomas (2020-08-09). ["Dismantling the advertising city: Subvertising and the urban commons to come"](https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0263775820946755). *Environment and Planning D: Society and Space*. **39** (2): 309–327. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1177/0263775820946755](https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0263775820946755). [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [0263-7758](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0263-7758).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Dery, Mark (1993). [*Culture Jamming: Hacking, Slashing, and Sniping in the Empire of Signs*](https://www.markdery.com/books/culture-jamming-hacking-slashing-and-sniping-in-the-empire-of-signs-2/). New York: Open Media.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Klein, Naomi (8 May 1997). ["Subvertising: Culture jamming reemerges on the media landscape"](http://ecumedesjours.com/artjammer.com/jamming_article.html). *The Village Voice*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Bonner, Matt; Raoul, Vyvian (2022-11-28). ["Subvertising: Sharing a Different Set of Messages"](https://commonslibrary.org/subvertising-sharing-a-different-set-of-messages/). *The Commons Social Change Library*. Retrieved 2023-03-02.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["Clearing the Mindscape"](https://web.archive.org/web/20110927050110/http://www.adbusters.org/category/tags/subvertising). *[Adbusters](/source/Adbusters)*. March 4, 2009. Archived from [the original](http://www.adbusters.org/category/tags/subvertising) on September 27, 2011. Retrieved 2010-12-09.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** Harold, Christine (2004-09-01). ["Pranking rhetoric: "culture jamming" as media activism"](https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0739318042000212693). *Critical Studies in Media Communication*. **21** (3): 189–211. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1080/0739318042000212693](https://doi.org/10.1080%2F0739318042000212693). [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [1529-5036](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/1529-5036).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["Exxon Victorious"](https://web.archive.org/web/20080205043902/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,903902,00.html). *Time*. March 5, 1973. Archived from [the original](http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,903902,00.html) on February 5, 2008.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** ["Sore-Loserman: From political parody to charity's windfall. CNN. 4 Dec. 2000"](http://edition.cnn.com/2000/ALLPOLITICS/stories/12/04/stickers.election/). Archives.cnn.com. Retrieved 2014-03-29.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** ["Civil Disobedience and Tobacco Control: The Case of BUGA UP, Simon Chapman"](https://www.crossart.com.au/images/pdfs/Buga%20Up-Simon%20Chapman-1996.pdf) (PDF). Tobacco Control Vol. 5, No. 3, 1996. Retrieved 6 December 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** McIntyre, Iain (2019-04-10). ["BUGA-UP - Billboard Utilising Graffitists Against Unhealthy Promotions"](https://commonslibrary.org/buga-up/). *The Commons Social Change Library*. Retrieved 2023-03-02.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** Chan, Sewell (2008-11-12). ["Liberal Pranksters Hand Out Times Spoof"](https://archive.nytimes.com/cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/11/12/pranksters-spoof-the-times/). *City Room*. Retrieved 2024-01-17.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-cnn.com_13-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-cnn.com_13-1) ["The hackers using street ads to protest"](https://edition.cnn.com/style/article/subvertising-ads-posters-billboards/index.html). 23 March 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-14)** Monks, Kieron (23 March 2018). ["'Subvertising' hackers are using street ads to protest"](https://www.cnn.com/style/article/subvertising-ads-posters-billboards/index.html). *CNN*. Retrieved 2020-08-15.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-15)** ["Activists subvert poster sites to shame aviation and ad industries"](https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/sep/22/activists-subvert-poster-sites-aviation-ad-industries-airline-emissions-climate-crisis). *the Guardian*. 2022-09-22. Retrieved 2022-09-23.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-16)** Jones, Carl W. (June 2025). ["Practical strategies for challenging colonial thinking and practices in the production of publicity campaigns within the spectacle of Mexican Advertising"](https://researchonline.rca.ac.uk/6502/). *Royal College of Art (RCA) Archive of research processes and output produced by RCA*. [Archived](https://researchonline.rca.ac.uk/id/eprint/6502) from the original on April 17, 2026. Retrieved March 31, 2026.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-cole-2025_17-0)** Cole, Deborah (14 January 2025). ["German police investigate AfD flyers resembling plane tickets for immigrants"](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jan/14/german-police-investigate-afd-flyers-resembling-plane-tickets-for-immigrants). *The Guardian*. London, United Kingdom. [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [0261-3077](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0261-3077). Retrieved 2025-01-15.

## External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to [Subvertising](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Subvertising).

- [Adbusters.org](http://www.adbusters.org)

v t e Culture jamming Forms Art intervention Billboard hacking Broadcast signal intrusion Détournement Flash mob Guerrilla communication Hacktivism Media prank Parody religion Situationist prank Subvertising Tactical frivolity Groups Adbusters Anonymous Barbie Liberation Organization Billboard Liberation Front Billionaires for Bush The Bubble Project Cacophony Society Guerrilla Girls Improv Everywhere Luther Blissett Merry Pranksters monochrom Negativland RTMark Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence Society for Indecency to Naked Animals Space Hijackers Veterans of Future Wars Whirl-Mart Wu Ming The Yes Men Yippies Movements Discordianism Church of the SubGenius Provo Psychogeography Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping People Alan Abel Banksy Reverend Billy Captain Midnight Captain Crunch Ron English Abbie Hoffman Naomi Klein John Law Malaclypse the Younger Ben Masel Sal Randolph Jerry Rubin Joey Skaggs Ivan Stang Kerry Wendell Thornley Bill Wasik Robert Anton Wilson Peter Lamborn Wilson Works The Illuminatus! Trilogy Schrödinger's Cat Trilogy Principia Discordia Book of the SubGenius Temporary Autonomous Zone No Logo Steal This Book Events Notre-Dame Affair (1950) Saint Stupid's Day Parade (late 1970s) Burning Man (1986) Max Headroom signal hijacking (1987) Grunge speak (1992) K Foundation (1993) SantaCon (1994) Portland Urban Iditarod (2001) Pillow fight flash mob (2008) Related Anti-consumerism Artivist Critique of work List of culture jamming organizations and people Performance art Street art Subculture Surreal humour Operation Mindfuck

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Subvertising](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subvertising) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subvertising?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.