think demux

Dear Mr Anarchist,

I noticed your handiwork at Bank tube station this Saturday. (An aside - Bank is not nearly as closed as Underground announcements would have you believe. Perhaps you admire this establishment head-f*cking?)

Although your sentiment is admirable, and I do agree that anarchistic (or revolutionary) ideas can be developed studiously at the British Library, I think a trick has been missed.

You have altered one level of meaning within this advertisement. But by replacing “Business” with “Anarchist” and erasing “Business & IP Centre”, you have ignored the implicit second level of meaning. Is the best place “to find inspiration for anarchist ideas” really the bath?

I can imagine the daily grind of anarchy takes its toll. You’re probably hard at it before most of us get out of bed in the morning. You’re crafting chaos long after most workers have clocked off at the office. Hell - I bet you subvert right through without even taking a stinking lunch break!

But does the God’s honest anarchist unwind best in the foamy indulgence of long, hot bath? Do you not prefer to keep yourself on your toes with a brisk, cold shower? Or repulse the brainwashed masses by shunning personal hygiene entirely? Now that really would be Underground anarchy. People get pressed up pretty close, you know. If there’s a stinker in the pack, your nostrils have got nowhere to hide.

A suggestion: if you want to do something truly anarchistic to an advert, hijack it completely. I refer you to the work of Skullphone. He’s been jacking digital billboards in New York and embedding his own image. And I don’t mean inserting his image into an existing advert. I mean taking over the whole billboard. (Although rumour has it he had to pay for the privilege).

Traditional advertising can really get up my nose, and I can understand why you picked this target (although, in fairness, it’s a pretty solid piece of work). But why not cover it completely? Stick a grenade behind the tiles that upholster it? If you try to beat a traditional ad at its own game, you’ll probably lose. I know that in itself isn’t fair. But much in life isn’t fair. So try to think more asymmetrically. Otherwise you’re just disappearing down the same hole as every other rat in the race.

Please tell me if I’ve missed the mark here. Perhaps the anarchist shares the business professional’s love of high-end grooming and does his finest thinking in the relaxed process of its upkeep. I should pop into the British Library. Are there research papers on the subject? 

Sincerely,

The Editor