The political billboard campaign aiming to shame
Billboards have been popping up all over the country quoting Brexit MPs on things they have said about Brexit in the past.
Thursday, 31 Jan 2019 10:20 GMT
The campaign has arrived in cities across Britain. Photo: ByDonkeys (Twitter)
Presented as a tweet by Brexiteer and Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg, the billboards read: “We could have two referendums. As it happens, it might make more sense to have the second referendum after the renegotiation is completed.”
Underneath, the campaigners message says: “He didn’t tweet it, he actually said it! In the House of Commons. What changed?”
It is one of a series of guerrilla billboard posters quoting key pro-Brexit MPs on opinions they have expressed in the past – but are not the opinions they are expressing now. Nigel Farage, Boris Johnson and Liam Fox are amongst those whose words have made it to the campaign, having put it to a vote to supporters on Twitter.
Led By Donkeys started the campaign to remind the country of the “forgotten lies of our leaders” by putting up giant protest billboards to expose their “hypocrisy.”
The big billboard companies wouldn’t touch it... our public space should not only be available to big spenders and established parties”
Speaking to Signlink, the Led By Donkeys team comments: “We wanted to put these quotes up on billboards for the public to see up close the ridiculous lies and hypocrisy of our Brexit leaders. It’s easy to miss something that flies past you online in the news, but when it’s on a massive poster that’s a bit harder.”
The campaign garnered mixed reviews from OOH providers and Led By Donkeys struggled to get permission to have some of the posters put up, with many posters being taken down by the billboard owners.
The team adds: “The big billboard companies wouldn’t touch it. JCDecaux refused us because they said we were too political. Our public space should not only be available to big spenders and established parties.
“They take party political ads paid for by millionaires but rejected our crowdfunded ones. In the end, we found great independent billboard companies like Air Outdoor and Jack Arts. These smaller guys deserve to thrive.”
At the time of writing, Led By Donkeys had raised over £72,000 on Crowdfunder, having passed the £50,000 mark in 36 hours.
Flyposting OOH adverts without permission is a popular way for activist groups to get the attention of the public. Now the group has supporters, and with the resources from its crowdfunding campaign, it can look to paying for more billboard space to spread its message.
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