"Death Monsters Ahead." "Pedestrian Killed Here." "Drains to Ocean... No Oil!" "Obey Andre the Giant." "Blowthedotoutyoura**.com." "NoMorePrisons.net."
Most of San Francisco's street stencils are what you would expect in a city known for progressive politics--voices from grass-roots activists desperate to take their message to the street. Earlier this month, when a new set of stencils with a subtle commercial tone joined this graffiti chorus, city officials were quick to react.
The stencils depict a peace sign, heart, and smiling penguin head, and are part of IBM's massive "Peace, Love and Linux" campaign. The campaign--and the guerilla marketing tactic behind the stencils--may be intended to help IBM change its stodgy image, earned during the 50's, when card-punch operators at IBM were required to wear blue suits and stand up all day. But for at least some of San Francisco's Linux-using population, the strategy backfired.
D. Vinay Dixit, self-avowed "Linux groupie," thought the stencils were "cool" the first time he saw one in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood where he lives. "I thought someone in the 'hood was really into Linux."
Then Dixit noticed that the stencils were everywhere, more ubiquitous than the famous muted posthorn from Thomas Pynchon's classic portrait of 60s California, Crying of Lot 49, set mostly in "San Narcisco."
"I used to wheat-paste, and when you saw the cops, you ran. It burned me to think about IBM ad guys getting away with that sh*t. I called the City to complain!"
According to Christine Falvey of the San Francisco Department of Public Works, IBM's timing was bad considering the recent Clean City Summit. Several new Environmental Control Officers were also recently appointed, according to Falvey.
"I also think they got busted because it was easy to figure out who was behind it," said Falvey. "We don't know who's responsible for the 'Drains to Ocean' signs."
Falvey added that after her department contacted IBM, the company agreed to remove all stencils.
