A man, a case, and the worlds biggest drawing…but not really
beingzoe 2 months ago // Creative Endeavors Gibber-gabber

ARTIST: Erik Nodenankar

TITLE: SELF PORTRAIT

TECHNIQUE: GPS-TRACKING

DIMENSIONS: 40 076 592 M * 40 009 153 M

As part of his graduation project in Advertising and Graphic Design at Beckman’s College of Design, Erik Nordenanker created the Biggest Drawing in the World. In cooperation with DHL, a global shipping company, Nordenanker created Self Portrait , by mapping out specific coordinates for DHL pilots and drivers to follow while transporting a Pelican case containing a GPS system that would track the route and create the drawing.

It took 55 days to “realize” the drawing; a single-line self-portrait that spans the entire globe, spread over 6 continents and 62 countries covering a distance of nearly 70,000 miles.

Only one problem, it never happened.

While it is unclear when or how the school project became of public interest, though I suspect Erik stumbled and promoted it in the hopes of his project going viral; He is an Advertising major after all. Gizmodo picked up the story on May 25, 2008 in a post by Sean Fallon, via a story from Hack a Day by Elliot Phillips via a link from Waxy.org by Andy Baio via zefrank blog, only to be simultaneously and subsequently discussed further and referenced at places like Wikinomics by poster Denis Hancock and countless others.

Apart from graduating, who knows what other motives Erik Nordenanker had when this project was released into the wild, but after garnering some worldwide fame with his project, Nordenanker felt compelled to disclose the truth behind the project in a disclaimer added to his site…

I think it’s possible to realise the project for real, but due to my extremely limited budget (about 20 000 SEK = 3 370 USD) that was not possible. Therefore, I have realised the idea in a fictional way. So, to be clear:

• This is a fictional work.
• DHL did not transport the GPS at any time.
• DHL has kindly allowed me to film parts of their facilities and distribution.
• This is a personal graduation project.

And apparently according to his statement he was also accused of copying another project at theworldismycanvas.com which he denies, asserting that his project was live before theworldismycanvas went online. Was it a sense of ethics that made him come clean? Or maybe tough investigative journalism from a typically cynical blogosphere suspicious of the dubious project claim and supposed result?

Regardless of how it happened, suddenly all of these places who were so kind to do a write-up on his project in the first place were forced to run retraction articles (gizmodo, wikinomics, telegraph.co.uk ).

In the end though I have to wonder how this differs from other types of guerrilla marketing, especially fake ad campaigns from Snickers, fake blogs from McDonalds, and Sony including a spray paint graffiti campaign tactic. All of these practices, which are mild in comparison to some, have the intent of deceiving the public just long enough to get some promotion and build brand trust.

It is unclear when these activities depart from the realm of performance art and enter the deceptive and misleading. Is it okay to pay someone to walk around busy streets talking about your product so that others will think they are genuine fans? Is it more or less acceptable to do the same in a forum or in blog comments?

In the UK the TimesOnline reports that fake bloggers and individuals, “falsely representing oneself as a consumer,” could be, “named and shamed…[and] face criminal prosecution under new rules that come into force next year.” While U.S. “consumers” may not be offered that type of protection in the near future, they are getting more and more cynical about the practice.

Nordenanker has taken a small beating over his “stunt” but other than anti-consumerist groups, people aren’t really making that big of a deal about real world corporate guerrilla marketing techniques that may be less than ethical.

Regardless of what anybody might think about the project, or even a shifting tide of frustration and disapproval from the public at large, I somehow see Erik having a leg up on the competition at interviews. Not everybody makes themselves “internet famous” with their graduation project.

All video and images are from Erik Nordenanker’s project site

See Erik actually make the biggest drawing in the world in this behind the scenes video at YouTube.

Should Erik have disclosed the fiction behind his project up front? Are similar and even more nefarious guerrilla marketing techniques used by corporations and marketing firms acceptable practices? Let me know what you thing.

You might also be interested in:

• Creative and Unique Pelican Case Mods
• Creative Endeavors community
• Buying the Pelican case Erik virtually used to virtually realize his project (you knew there had to be a shameless promotion in there somewhere!)