Subvertising a new trend in marketing?

Subvertising is a term described in Polish on the internet mainly on websites dealing with culture or sociology. And yet it is also important from the point of view of PR, marketing and advertising. What does this term mean?

The more billboards and posters in cities, the more often subvertising appears. In the West, it started to intensify in the 1970s. In Poland - in the period after the transformation, when there were an avalanche of street advertisements. This form of protest was first used by French situationists in the 1960s. Read what it means and how to use subvertising to your advantage.

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What is subversion in advertising?

Subvertising is about altering or counterfeiting advertisements. It usually has a social context - it is done by activists or artists. It may be a commentary on the company's activities or sensitize to an important social problem. It has the form of graffiti, alterations or supplements to advertisements on the street. The second form of subvertising is advertising inspired by the original, but with a changed message. They look very similar, but are deployed by, for example, an NGO or activists. It can also appear on the Internet, where a film or banner of a company is replaced by a similar, usually competition.

Currently, the concept of subvertising is expanding to new ones marketing communication channels companies, that is, on Facebook or Twitter. Fake profiles or accounts can harm the company's image. Often this tactic involves taking over slogans or names and giving them new meanings.

Subvertising by examples

Subvertising is an expression of powerlessness in the face of the practices of large companies. Therefore, the most common victims are corporations. One brand that is particularly affected by this is McDonald's. Even the famous artist Banksy uses the logo and characters from McDonald's advertisements in his works. The characteristic bow is quite easy to copy and its shape allows for numerous jokes and word games. Also, the "Mc" prefix characteristic of this company's products can be easily added to any other word, adding new meanings. Remakes appeared all over the world, both amateur and prepared professionally and on a large scale.

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Is it worth using subvertising?

Subvertising can also be a form of discrediting the competition or emphasizing your own values when it is based on advertising from another company. The first problem is the allegation of vandalism and copyright infringement. Such actions would therefore have to be undertaken informally. Instead of modifying posters or billboards, you can create your own, based on a template or idea of your competition. Accurate comment highlighting the weakness of another brand may give the company sympathizers. However, such a strategy must be carefully considered. It should not turn into a dirty PR campaign, where both sides would lose. You also have to be careful not to hit the entire industry. Consumers read the headlines superficially, so they can associate the complaint about a specific company with other brands from the same shelf.

Subvertising can be risky especially when brands are confused with each other. Such a strategy also does not pay off for the market leader. It should take care to expand the entire market. Negative PR can discourage you from buying any industry goods.

Your company's PR and subvertising

For a company, subvertising is usually a big problem. It can be compared to the black PR aimed at the company. It also happens that subvertising is actually PR campaign organized by a specific lobby or organization. There are several ways to deal with this type of anti-ad. Companies rarely decide to take legal action. This is sometimes possible due to copyright infringement. Crisis management in such a situation it may also consist in a creative opposition to such a subversive advertisement. Most often, however, companies use silence as a tactic to deal with criticism. This can be seen on the example of McDonald's. It would not be beneficial for the company to address the allegations. Ignoring these actions detracts from their importance.

The company's loyal customers and those who pay attention to the social comment contained in subvertising are two different groups. Highlighting the allegations made would only make you loud about them. The exception is one of less controversial works Banksy. Advertising agency serving McDonald's in 2018, she created a variation on it, showing the same sense of humor. The company learned this tactic from mistakes.

Back in the 1990s, McDonald's sued two London activists for distributing several hundred leaflets revealing the truth about the company's dishes. The court battle lasted 10 years. Ultimately, the activists won it. For McDonald's, the whole confusion was very bad in terms of image. The usual accusations against a corporation are usually heartlessness and action against "ordinary people." Sue ordinary people for altering a poster or a leaflet confirms the worst stereotypes about corporations.

Is it possible to avoid being subversive?

And how to avoid a situation where you are the victim of subvertising? Subvertising is a response to the increasingly louder phenomenon of landscape pollution. It is about the excess of billboards and other advertising media in public space. In the context of the Polish landscape, the media write about "banner". At important historical sites, attempts are made to minimize the amount of intrusive advertising. For example, the Landscape Resolution in Gdańsk forced the "calming down" of signs, incl. Żabka and other shops located in the Old Town. An elegant, black and gold signboard also has Biedronka in several more prestigious locations. When observing this strategy, it is worth adjusting branding and communication to the nature of the surroundings and landscape. This reduces the risk that activists or residents will be tempted to remake flashy signs or inappropriate billboards.

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