Availability

Roanne, august 2009.

Urban settings are genuine incubators for written objects. Numerous graphic species interact one with another according to different patterns: cooperation, domination, succession. As far as specimens of advertising are concerned, the struggle for life consists in a war for eyeballs. How many views will respectively raise such a TV spot, such a web page, or such a billboard? Visibility and the audience that translates it into ratings points became the key words of visual marketing. To put it differently, a successful presence is measured as the result of an harsh competition for the occupation of space. From this standpoint, the struggle for the most attractive and visible places comes at a high price, either during the half-time of a football match on TV, or a deemed website, or to appear in the most frequented public places in large cities around the world. Yet, the “visual pollution” disparaged by some critics is not necessarily bound to happen. Some sites remain available, like this “wannabe” billboard that was in such a waiting state during several months. To the owner’s great displeasure, who had expected tax credit regarding the revenues generated by the billboard renting, that attractive advertisement finally raised no interest at all. Only the gaze of a scriptopolian has been attracted: the time to contemplate such a beautiful specimen vigorously displaying its own availability.