jammer's ey?

Advertising, am i immune to it? Well i'd like to think yes, but when i hear an ad on the radio that ends in "the burgers are better at hungry jacks" i say outloud "yes, yes they are" im agreeing to an ad for heavens sake, i must be influenced by it somehow. Advertising truly is unescapable, which is bloody annoying, i was on the train the other day and every 3 seconds another billboard flew past the window, it was so refreshing to see a stretch of land for a minute as i got further from the city. Everyday our visual space is being bombarded by advertisements and what is our defense? Its here we welcome the powers of culture jammers! everyday folk who are standing up and altering ads to better our world (cue theme music :D). Culture jammers main goals are to make us stop and think about the ads we so passively consume. check out some of their creative ways: http://www.adbusters.org/home/

Although they are clever and artistic are they effective? Some of us look at advertisements but do we take them in? Are we seeing the culture jammers work but not actively reading it? all important points but all answerable only by the individual. I find the small acts of jamming like the stickers on posters in the train and graffiti over ads just annoying, an advertisement is someones art, is defacing it to get ur message out the right idea? a temporary billboard alteration i can appreciate more, it will be noticed, a point will be made and the original ad remains intact. I'd like to see less advertisements on the street and on our public transport, but i dont mind ads in magazines. I would rather look to find an ad then just see it all around. Culture jammers are effective in making us stop and think about what the company is actually selling us but is it going to stop me from buying it....NO. If i want a burger that has been made from foreign import, then heck i'll have my burger! Not many like myself are happy to alter their way of thought or purchasing because of a culture jammers point. Like most passer-bys we will stop, notice the jamming act, perhaps smile at its cleverness and keep on walking. Culture jamming effective? to make you stop and think then yes, to make you stop and not shop, no.