I designed this poster for a new Brandalism, Subvertisers International and XR Belgium takeover of 400 ad spaces in towns and cities across Europe targeting car advertising, polluting SUVs, and in particular Toyota and BMW.⁠

BMW and Toyota push their ‘green’ credentials in their advertising while simultaneously lobbying governments to delay and limit policies to end the sale of new fossil fuel cars.⁠

There were 11 other artists involved in the campaign including some good friends Michelle Tylicki, Hogre, Matt Bonner, and Merny.

My poster was inspired by the fact that BMW was one of the car manufacturers who installed emissions test cheating devices in thousands of their vehicles, which meant they released far more toxic fumes than regulators and consumers believed. They also colluded with VW and Daimler in an “emissions cartel” to curb the use of emissions cleaning technology.⁠

More of my previous subvertising work here:⁠

www.spellingmistakescostlives.com/subvertising⁠

More images and details of the other artists works in this campaign can be found on the Brandalism website.

PRESS COVERAGE

International press

Brussels Times: https://www.brusselstimes.com/brussels-2/351336/activists-hijack-billboards-in-brussels-to-call-out-misleading-car-ads

Euronews, English: https://www.euronews.com/green/2023/01/16/toyota-and-bmw-activists-hijack-billboards-to-highlight-misleading-adverts-from-car-compan

Euronews, French: https://fr.euronews.com/2023/01/16/des-vehicules-trop-polluants-les-militants-pour-le-climat-affichent-leurs-propres-publicit

Euronews, Italian: https://it.euronews.com/2023/01/16/bruxelles-extinction-rebellion-irrompe-durante-il-motorshow

Euronews, German: https://de.euronews.com/2023/01/16/klimaaktivistinnen-protestieren-gegen-suv-werbung-mit-europaweiter-plakataktion

Euronews, Portuguese: https://pt.euronews.com/2023/01/16/industria-automovel-alvo-dos-ativistas-climaticos-em-varias-cidades-de-toda-a-europa

Euronews, Russian:https://ru.euronews.com/2023/01/16/motor-show-protest

Euronews, Spanish:https://es.euronews.com/2023/01/16/guerra-de-carteles-contra-el-sector-automovilistico-y-su-impacto-medioambiental

UK press

BBC News: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-bristol-64264251

Bristol 24/7: https://www.bristol247.com/news-and-features/news/climate-activists-hijack-billboards-to-shame-car-firms/

The Drum: https://www.thedrum.com/news/2023/01/16/brandalism-slams-toyota-and-bmw-greenwashing-latest-guerilla-billboard-campaign

French pressOuest France: https://www.ouest-france.fr/pays-de-la-loire/nantes-44000/nantes-des-parodies-d-affiches-pour-denoncer-la-pub-des-industries-polluantes-abf52668-940b-11ed-ab25-e13bb1910c55France3: https://france3-regions.francetvinfo.fr/pays-de-la-loire/loire-atlantique/nantes/a-nantes-une-campagne-de-pub-pour-denoncer-les-suv-des-vehicules-juges-climaticides-2693822.html

Belgian press

BX1: https://bx1.be/categories/news/extinction-rebellion-detourne-des-publicites-en-marge-du-salon-de-lauto/

Le Soir https://www.lesoir.be/489065/article/2023-01-16/salon-de-lauto-des-publicites-detournees-pour-protester-contre-toyota-et-bmw

L’Avenir https://www.lavenir.net/regions/bruxelles/2023/01/16/pub-pour-la-fin-de-lhumanite-ecrasez-la-vie-des-detournements-de-panneaux-publicitaires-ciblent-bmw-et-toyota-en-marge-du-salon-de-lauto-GI4I5SEBTNEWFJFCZHJC4R66RM/

JT (Belgium): https://auvio.rtbf.be/live/jt-19h30-436407

Dutch pressAD (Netherlands): https://www.ad.nl/buitenland/extinction-rebellion-kaapt-400-reclameposters-van-autofabrikanten~a7e744cb/ Autobahn (Netherlands): https://autobahn.eu/artikel/490558/extinction-rebellion-bekladt-reclameposters-toyota-en-bmw

Autoblog (Netherlands): https://www.autoblog.nl/nieuws/milieu-extremisten-kapen-reclameposters-van-bmw-3441088

Gelderlander (Netherlands): https://www.gelderlander.nl/buitenland/extinction-rebellion-kaapt-400-reclameposters-van-autofabrikanten~a7e744cb/?referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F