Public Service Announcement:
LOOK B4 U LIKE!
LOOK B4 U LIKE!
Fake news is a blight on our society. That being said, the thought of placing an organization over the policing of it scares me even more. I believe the best way to combat fake news is through awareness and taking personal responsibility for what we share. In response, I created the LOOK B4 U LIKE campaign.
The artistic concept I selected for this campaign was that of the old Soviet Union propaganda posters. A fan of the Stenberg Brothers and of Shepard Fairey’s Obey guerilla marketing campaign, I felt the subtext of communist propaganda was relevant to our current climate.
"The Flying Likes" Inspired by vintage propaganda posters and the idea of war planes buzzing overhead, I like the imagery of a bunch of flying "Likes" in the big sky of social media. The use of size indicates their proximity to us, like the friends we get news from and their level of influence upon us. Nothing can hide the shrewd examination of the rays extending from the All Seeing Eye. The final text reminds us to actually READ articles and not just hit LIKE based on a title; to Google and check the facts of the story; and then, only THEN, should we share.
Inspired by Shepard Fairey’s Obey campaign, the concept of social engineering and the use of media to sway public opinion in a Big Brother meets Lord of the Rings kind of way, was my aim. I used scale to emphasize the All Seeing Eye and incorporated the thumbs-up hand as the object controlling the magnifying glass. Sometimes the number of “Likes” or who “Likes” something controls one’s vision; additionally, sometimes we don't see who's holding the magnifying glass and our vision is distorted as a result.
Inspired by a vintage Sputnik poster (origin unknown), I was drawn to image of the eye as the satallite, circling, scanning, and looking at everything. The thumbs up are the towers broadcasting and receiving the news. Each wave coming from the eye is another layer of investigation: funds, author, agenda, disclaimer. The word “LOOK” is like the original Sputnik poster, with the letters in descending size. Because it’s different, I believe it draws attention to the words and makes people stop and read the poster.
