ARTIFICIAL AI
Pocket Money Loans at Atom Gallery 2013
PAYDAY LOANS FOR KIDS!
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Pocket Money Loans gives kids an advance on their pocket money at just 5000% interest.
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New stores are opening all the time!
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NATIONWIDE & INTERNATIONAL STORE OPENINGS:
ATOM GALLERY (2014)
DISMALAND (2015)
GLASTONBURY FESTIVAL: SHANGRI-LA (2016)
ROSKILDE FESTIVAL, DENMARK (2016)
NEWCASTLE (2016) [Photos coming soon]
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NEXT STORE OPENING:
LONDON (MARCH 2017)
ATOM GALLERY October/November 2014
Atom Gallery was kind enough to offer me the space for Pocket Money Loans as the first exhibition in its newly acquired shop front. The unit had previously been occupied by a cheque cashing loan shop so came pre-fitted with all the hideous furnishings you'd expect and a faux-wood customer service counter. All that was needed was a few posters, some vinyl stickers, a shop sign and a bunch of other shit I forgot about until the last minute.
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I launched the website a week or so in advance and the backlash started almost immediately. It was great that it was convincing enough for people to think it was real, but I did feel a bit guilty because the people reacting with anger were the good guys. Someone helpfully pointed out that the joke wasn't about the people who fell for it, rather that in the current climate, a payday loan shop for kids didn't actually seem that far-fetched.
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PRESS
Simon Read: Payday loans that are marketed at kids? Why not? They're already brainwashed into wanting products.
The Independent
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Store appears to offer payday loans to children
ITV News
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Darren Cullen’s Pocket Money Loans For Kids Lampoons Vile Culture Of Payday Loans
Huffington Post
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Payday loan firm for children turns out to be satirist's art stunt
Evening Standard
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Satirical company offers kids Pocket Money Loans
The Scotsman
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Pocket Money Loans, An Art Installation Offering Payday Loans to Children
Laughing Squid
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Get Them While They’re Young: The Art of Darren Cullen
ANON Magazine
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Payday loans 'service' aimed at children launches
MoneyWise
‘Wonga for kids’ comes to Finsbury Park with ‘Pocket Money Loans’ shop
Islington Gazette
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Best exhibitions of 2015: a-n writers pick their top five shows - A-N
MONEY SAVING EXPERT:
I was especially pleased to get Martin Lewis' backing as I'd thought his comments on payday loan companies 'grooming' young children through their advertisements were absolutely spot on.
MARKETING
With a little help from the fine, anonymous, and early-rising folks at Special Patrol Group, Pocket Money Loans got its own street-level advertising campaign at several sites around the capital.
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If you're interested in how this type of thing is done you could do worse than pick yourself up a Ad-Space Hack pack from STRIKE! Magazine's online store.
WEBSITE
Pocket Money Loans' website and social media took most of the abuse from disgruntled customers.
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See below for a selection of customer complaints.
REACTION
MAGAZINE
DISMALAND
August/September 2015
In August and September 2015 I spent 5 weeks running a seasside payday loan hut for the kids at Banksy's Dismaland exhibition.
Dismaland trailer by Banksy
INTERVIEW
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PRESS
Banksy's Dismaland: 'amusements and anarchism' in artist’s biggest project yet
The Guardian
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Banksy and the Problem With Sarcastic Art
New York Times Magazine
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‘Dismaland’: A Theme Park by Banksy
The Atlantic​
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Dismaland: The artists doing cooler things than Banksy at his 'bemusement park'
The Independent
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Banksy's Dismaland Gets South Bank Awards Nod
Sky News​
GLASTONBURY FESTIVAL: SHANGRI-LA June/July 2016
ROSKILDE FESTIVAL, DENMARK July 2016
POCKET MONEY LOANS SHOP
Related items available to buy from my online shop