( BANGKOK  STYLE.... )

GRAFFITI IN THE NEWS FONY SONY - FAKE GRAFFITI GETS REAL GO-OVER          Last month MIDNITE HOUR commented that if only advertising agencies could capture the imagination of the passer-by the way the graffiti 'writer' has...   Well, we spoke too soon - this month, news agencies report that the venerable Sony has commissioned graffiti writers in seven major US cities to hit-up selected public surfaces to promote their new Sony PlayStation Portables in what they referred to as a 'viral marketing campaign'.             The writers are given the artwork to copy, graffiti-like, onto walls (that have been leased !) - said artwork featuring youngsters riding the PlayStation like a horse, using the Playstation like a skate board and licking a PlayStation lollipop, and other similar variations.   This has of course aroused the ire of the 'underground'.   Sony has been accused of co-opting this otherwise free-spirited art form with it's commercialism, and cynically "exploiting graffiti artists for profit."             The uproar over Sony's crossing the line is to be found on several websites dedicated to graffiti writing, but even more distressing to Sony is they are being blogged to death by other individuals who are making comments like, "I will never buy a Sony product again."   But Sony should have known they couldn't tread on forbidden territory without paying the price; it didn't take long for real graffiti writers to make their own go-overs - one pointedly altering "SONY" to read "FONY".                Sony's new 'viral marketing campaign' seems to be working all right - the only problem is, Sony's the one coming down with the fever.             Many thanks to two on-target websites; Secondary Screening <link>, and Gothamist <link>, from whom we excerpted (with 'fair use' in mind) the above photos.   Both sites are professionally done and hip - worth a visit.

         Let's not even slow down; our fifth monthly installment : ....

Graffiti #029 Writers-up 10 ft. high x 125 ft long (partial)

Graffiti #029-A Writers-up Panorama 10 ft. high x 125 ft long (partial)

Graffiti #030 Daddy's Anvil 10 ft. high x 125 ft long (partial)

Graffiti #031 Bitch 10 ft. high x 125 ft long (partial)

Graffiti #032 End-up 10 ft. high x 125 ft long (partial)

Graffiti #033 Gabby 10 ft. high x 125 ft long (partial)

Graffiti #034 Gas Mask 10 ft. high x 125 ft long (partial)