yes, we as street artists are soooo in need of a brand ’socially legitimising’ our work after 20 years of practising it!!! Sheeeesh – How about just supporting it?
You yourself say that you are from Melbourne and are into this art. Do you really think that the average public get what we get in this campaign? Really? You think Shane and Sharon from Suburbia get it? Are you an avid herald Sun reader? Because this is the sort of demographic that we are talking about when we talk of who is actually noticing this campaign. I have been explaining to so many kids (writers) that it isn’t real. They don’t get the irony. Why would they?? They are trying to fight against a continuing backlash that says what they do is worthless. The artists and supporters of this art are not laughing along with this but rather seeing it as another step toward supporting ignorant views. GREAT – I get it and you get it and other people into advertising and to some degree street art get it but do you think the general public get it??/ You think artists would actually visit the site to investigate?? So are we laughing at this little joke together as an art community? What good does it do if we are the only ones getting the joke?
Here my civil debating with you ends.
How dare you call my post a ‘misguided tirade’ !! So you think sneakers sold on the proceeds of advertising like this would far better the culture than me debating on the relevence of this sort of corporate campaign? , ,or corporate sponsors supporting street artists in a more constructive way like this: (Adidas US):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bo2e0SPbi_8
What is your history in the art of graffiti in Australia may I ask??
I have been involved with and documenting this artin Australia pretty much since its conception here. . Do you have 20 years of involvement under your belt and friends who are artists who have spent time inside or mortgaged their parent’s houses to pay for bail or court fees because of public opinion spurred by this sort of shit that has ended them in a place where true artist should not be? I think not – my guess is that you are an (as you say ‘aquainted’) recent street art discoverer, stencil lover, art director/ad agency trend-prediction expert (obviously) or gallery owner with a recent history of Banksy love. A suggestion to all readers of this – here is a post from real people involved in the art and their comments:
http://blog.niceproduce.com/?p=1055
Jay – how well has the Cope 2 range been selling here I wonder? There’s a good community of people in Australia with similar deep history to that of Cope that know the market (and actually know who Cope is) who could have given a hundred better imaginative ways to sell his sneaker in Australia. . . and he may have even approved of it. . but those guys I talk of will never be picked up and given opportunity whilst people see them as vandals in the way that this campaign has portrayed them. But I guess it’s not about the artists, right? Well take a look at the advertising for Adidas in other countries and you’ll see it actually is!

http://blog.niceproduce.com/?p=1055