As part of a Kickstarter campaign in partnership with two animal rescue shelters, all ads in the London subway station have temporarily been replaced by pictures of cats.
Travelers passing through the Clapham Common subway station over the next two weeks will see an unusual sight. In every place ads would usually appear, photos of cats will greet them instead, AdWeek reported.
According to Glimpse, the organization behind the the promotion, the Kickstarter campaign empowered the Citizen Advertising Takeover Service (CATS) to blanket the station with cat photos as a creative way to bring attention to both the cats who need to be adopted and the need for ad-free cuteness from time to time.
In a post on Medium, Glimpse leader James Turner said the effort started in February as a way to “imagine a world where friends and experiences were more valuable than stuff you can buy.” Glimpse isn’t against advertising, but wishes to approach it with greater creativity and mindfulness, creating “glimpses of a world where things are getting better.”
Sixty-eight photos of cats now decorate the subway station walls, including a photo collage of beloved cats sponsored by their owners for about $132 each.
It seems like a pleasant surprise to passersby, who have been taking pictures and enjoying all the cuteness. Even the gateways are adorned with images of cats as well as the CATS logo.
The Cats Not Ads team is basking in the success of its efforts and already starting to look for a site (and subject) for its next campaign. So far, the frontrunner is dogs, but as Glimpse has proven, anything can happen.
The Cats Not Ads campaign cost about $30,000 and was raised by hundreds of small donations.