Melbourne-based indie creative shop Art Disrupt has launched a national street art poster campaign, “#TaxGasNow” across Australia’s main cities targeting Santos and Woodside Petroleum.
The hero poster reads: “It’s time for the fossil gas industry to pay their fair share of tax. Don’t worry they won’t go broke.”
The 1,400 posters have been put up across Australia’s four major cities, Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Brisbane, with the goal of raising awareness about the gas industry’s super profits. The posters were launched to time with the Federal Budget earlier this month with more content supporting the campaign across Twitter and Instagram.
“This is the decade of action, mitigation, litigation, legislation and cooperation,” said Art Disrupt founder Matt Bray, formerly of former Cummins & Partners, CHE Proximity and Oglivy.
“One great place to start is getting the fossil gas industry to pay their fair share. We are likely to experience warming, albeit temporarily, of 1.5C above pre-industrial levels within the next five years and this campaign is part of our mission to create climate awareness.”
The Santos and Woodside Petroleum posters both zero in on the profits both companies reap from their operations in Australia.
“The purpose of the posters is to get in the sights of key decision-making politicians with messages that indicate there is little public support for gas tycoons,” added Bray.
“With Woodside’s profits up 223 per cent in 2022 it’s a good indication that the fossil gas industry can afford it.”
The campaign will also receive an “exciting extension” to tie everything together at a later date.
“It’s about time the communications, advertising, and creative industries took a strong stand for the environment, and educate the public about the destruction of our natural landscape,” he continued.
“We have to continue with this important work and get the message out to the community that the brake must be applied to the gas industry in Australia.”
