Save perhaps lawyers, what is more ubiquitous in modern society than advertising? We are used to guerilla advertisements that promote a product or service for profit or subvert the status quo but many organizations, individuals and guerilla artists have begun putting a unique spin on guerilla action by advocating for important local and global issues. Here are just some of the growing number of subversive advertising campaigns that have been to raise global awareness.





This collection of Red Cross guerilla advertisements touches on a great variety of emergency situations, from ones close to home to others around the world. For the most part they emphasize the living conditions of others who are less fortunate, from those who need blood transfusions to others in war-torn and poverty-stricken nations. Such culture jamming strategies can bring an issue into public discourse.

Homelessness is also a contentious issue in the realm of public debate. Some people advocate more programs and assistance while others maintain the homeless should simply find their own way back to their feet. This collection of homeless advocacy advertisements illustrates the growing homeless problem, much like other creative urban artistic interventions question the status quo. Regardless of your position on the issue they certainly provide food for thought.

This collection of ads on humanitarian interests is not for the faint of heart (the most tame are shown above). Some of the advertisements are extremely graphic and provocative. Still, the messages they carry are therefore all the more powerful and they address some issues that are less frequently addressed in current global discourse including child soldiers, domestic violence and animal rights. Projects such as the melting ice cap mug above are a good example of simple and local ways to advocate creatively for environmental good. Other projects are intended to work more as examples that can be replicated on a global scale.