Abstract
The late 1970s saw the rise of an unusual form of civil disobedience in Australia in support of public health. ‘Billboard Utilising Graffitists Against Unhealthy Promotions’ (BUGA UP) addressed what they perceived to be the adverse effects of tobacco and alcohol advertising by devising graffiti campaigns throughout Australia, predominantly in Sydney. Billboards were modified, usually through the erasure or addition of letters, to create negative messages about the products they were promoting. The group attracted a diverse range of activists – many of them drawn from professional life – and the ‘subvertisers’ remained highly active throughout the 1980s. What has come to define a host of activities under the broader term of media activism, arguably began life in Australia as billboard alteration. In historicising early forms of such activism in the context of current media scholarship, I wish to challenge the assumption of some media activism literature in defining certain phenomena as part of a contemporary movement that emerged with digital media. There are precursors with older forms of activism deserving of attention. Little scholarly material concerning BUGA UP exists and the organisation while often mentioned in media activism literature, is rarely analysed. The article argues that BUGA UP has a place in the pre-history of ‘culture jamming’ in Australia and should be recognised as a forerunner to such activism in which the basic intent has remain unchanged, even if the form and medium has evolved. Political and cultural attitudes to media consumption aside, BUGA UP was a pioneering movement that represented a watershed moment in media-based forms of activism in Australia, and should be recognised as such.
Original language | English |
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Number of pages | 10 |
Journal | Global Media Journal: Australian Edition |
Volume | 8 |
Issue number | 1 |
Publication status | Published - 2014 |
Keywords
- Australia
- graffiti
- public health
- street art