PAID FOR F**KING NOBODY
An irreverent guerrilla campaign, Paid for by F**king Nobody seeks to make a statement on road safety in Savannah, Georgia.
Savannah pushes the narrative that it is a safe city for cyclists and pedestrians. In reality, the roads in Savannah are dangerous due to the actions of cyclists, pedestrians, and drivers alike. One particular cyclist (it's actually me) has been hit by a car: his bike is ruined, he wants everyone to know that he’s angry, and he wants to make an impact.
Jarring headlines and powerful saturated colors placed into the historic district of Savannah mirror the sudden impact of a cyclist’s collision with a car. The phrase "paid for by f**king nobody," a jab at corporate sponsorship and government initiatives, graces all materials. Who is this guy who got hit by a car? Who paid to fix his bike? Nobody.
Posters are placed near high-traffic and accident-prone intersections. Booklets and flyers telling the story of the collision are placed under windshields and in doorways around Savannah, and recipients are encouraged to use the integrated postcards to send a message to the city. For social media, the narrative is adapted to sequential frames.
An alternate version of the project developed for more sensitive environments replaces profanity with vehicle puns that play on profane words, such as "oh truck!" and "holy skid!"
Nondescript sans-serif type remains somewhat anonymous and allows the headlines and imagery to take center stage, but the type is given a little flair via italicization and wide tracking.
A photograph of the bicycle involved in the original incident with its ruined wheel is used to form the letter O. When placed next to each other, the posters' saturated colors serve to overwhelm the viewer and to draw in the eye. Narrative copy in the shape of an arrow warns the viewer not to be a dumbass or a shithead. QR codes leading to the Fucking Nobody webpage are included so that passersby can learn more and take action themselves.
The language and graphic style of the posters are applied to a sequential format for a accordion fold booklets telling the story of the car collision. The backsides of the booklets feature a postcard which can be sent to the city and an invitation to a city council meeting.
The information from the posters is applied to small postcards to be stuck in doorways and under windshield wipers. The postcard can be signed and stuck in the mail to be sent to the director of Savannah Mobility and Parking Services.
The sequential narrative from the booklets is applied to square slides for use on social media. On Instagram, the slides can be swiped through and displayed as one large image. On networks like Twitter and Facebook, each slide can be uploaded separately and the audience can either click through an album or look to the next separate post for the next slide.