A NOSTALGIC TRIP THROUGH THE OLD MTN ADS

Since Montana Colors commenced its adventure in 1994, promotion in specialized magazines has been one of the brand’s means for advertising, and it still is today.

This method of advertising, aside from obtaining direct visibility to a specialized audience, is a way of supporting all types of publications which in the majority of circumstances, are being produced in a non-profit manner.

Graffiti magazines have a scarce profit margin partly due to their international reach being battered by scarce unit sales, and in many cases, they wouldn’t even be possible if it wasn’t for the brands who purchase advertising space within their pages. It’s an investment that, considering the hegemony of digital media today, doesn’t seem to have the same function it used to in relation to the expense that it involves. However, it does respond to a commitment to writers’ selfless work, and to the phenomenon of graffiti culture in its original format.

We wanted to get a little nostalgic by compiling a few of the oldest Montana Colors ads. Many of them are interesting because of their humorous value.

• One of the most legendary Montana Colors ads without a doubt is “¿Quién es el vándalo?” (Who is the vandal?), which was a tough political criticism right in the middle of the Prestige oil spill; an ecological disaster that occurred on the Galician coast in November 2002 and spun out of control because of the disastrous way in which the Spanish government dealt with the accident.

• Another important advertisement with an important political aspect is the one that contains the phrase, “No a la Guerra” (No to War). This was the motto for the protests that took place in Spain in 2003 against the Spanish government’s support to the United State’s occupation of Iraq by George Bush.

• Summer on the beach is something that’s very typical in the city of Barcelona. That, and a casual atmosphere is what one of the most peculiar MTN ads suggests. In the ad, the current international business director appears flirting with a girl on the Mongat beach. In his backpack there are a few Hardcore cans with the oldschool lids peeking out, in a sort of postcard image that reminds us that graffiti is compatible with many other hobbies.