Before I die…
I’ve always driven past billboards/ads/posters and eagerly scanned their content for some form of inspiration to bring to my day. But it seems that beer advertisements with half-naked models, realestate billboards with cheesy agents and towering fast food burgers just aren’t cutting it for me. I can’t help but feel like big businesses have lost the ability to communicate to and understand how the everyday man/woman ticks.
Then I came across this project by Candy Chang in New Orleans. Her public art project invites passers by to chalk their own ending to the sentence: “Before I die I want to…” on a disused building in her neighbourhood. The public are invited to share their most intimate or crazy aspirations, inspiring fellow pedestrians to chalk up.
The opportunity to fully voice your opinion uncensored creates a huge opportunity to be completely honest and think deeply about your answer. This got me wondering that, with all the leaps and bounds in social media, are big brands really connecting with their customers and getting honest feedback? The disconnection with using faceless technology to communicate still creates a barrier. What would happen if companies started using such ‘in-your-face’ approaches as this public art project? Would there be a more honest approach with feedback if both parties are face to face and therefore more accountable for their words? I would personally love to walk into a store or management office and write up on their wall my review of their service (a bit extreme maybe, but boy would I feel like I was being heard!).
It could be a reminder to the bosses on the top floors that the decisions they make effect people, the environment and communities, not just dollars and annual figures. Maybe a utopic idea, what do you think?
Yours in thought,
Tara
