Plakkit launches Street Beats | New $5000 initiative for artists to use the streets as a creative outlet

Launching in January 2022, Plakkit’s new Street Beats initiative has been created for six Melbourne-based visual artists, charities or good causes to receive poster campaigns to the value of $5,000 each. The aim of the campaign is to provide artists with a platform for creative expression and commentary on social issues that resonate with the community.
 
 “Over the last two years Plakkit has been contacted by so many artists, charities and causes who have all experienced very restricted access to fundraising options or platforms where their art or voices can be seen or heard,” says Plakkit founder Andrew McGregor. “Many have turned to Plakkit’s street poster network as an effective public forum to engage with their audiences.”
 
This initiative will be launched in early January 2022 when Plakkit will invite submissions from visual artist or organisations interested in participating, the criteria to be eligible for selection is submissions need to be a not for profit cause, event or message. The campaigns will be rolled out bi-monthly starting from February 2022. For more information and to register interest  Sayhello@plakkit.com

Be Kind to Every Kind
Melbourne may have reopened but leading into Christmas can be a difficult time for many, so McGregor wanted to send out an empowering and positive message remind the community to look out for each other over the festive period.
 
McGregor reached out to Yia Yia Next Door, a remarkable social enterprise that supports and inspires communities where people feel safe, and neighbours connect and care. Yia Yia Next Door founders, Luke and Daniel Paulino, were behind the strong and bold “Be Kind To Every Kind” message which was perfect for a street poster campaign and was a natural follow up to the highly successful “Community is Kindness” posters, both sponsored by Plakkit. The posters will hit the streets from November 29.
 
Co-founder Daniel Paulino says, “We are thrilled to be collaborating with Plakkit on this campaign and really grateful for the opportunity to spread some positive vibes across the streets of Melbourne in the wake of such a difficult couple of years.”
 
Over the past 20 years Plakkit has taken the rock poster medium from guerrilla-style advertising with a distinct raw aesthetic to a legitimate format with council agreements and planning permits, still maintaining its raw edge. The agreements and planning permits with local councils Plakkit has advocated for means that space allocated for posters has to be for creative industries and not commercial enterprises. In addition, many councils are Plakkit clients and the company sponsors many events such as Melbourne Music Week, Leaps and Bounds and more.
 
The Plakkit story
 
Plakkit provides affordable grass roots advertising services across Australia becoming the number one go-to agency for the music, arts and cultural sector and the leading street marketing agency in the country boasting an impressive list of clients from the NGV and Arts Centre Melbourne to local councils such as City of Melbourne, City of Yarra and well-known F&B companies such as Minor Figures and Four Pillars. Plakkit is THE recognised medium in the outdoor advertising space with a strong history for supporting established and emerging artists and creatives alike.
 
In February 1999, Melbourne boy Andrew McGregor bought a one-way ticket to London. Finding his way to Amsterdam, Andrew found a job as a ‘plakker’ which involved pedalling the streets sticking up posters for cultural events. The Dutch word ‘Plakken’ is a verb, meaning, ‘to stick or to paste or glue’, and the company was called Plakker & Co. As many eager young Aussies aboard. McGregor loved the access the job gave him, and the company director took him aside to share his insight into the business and the opportunity. He encouraged Andrew to start a similar business in Australia. The seed was planted and in December 2000, McGregor returned to Australia and Plakkit was born.
 
McGregor’s vision for Plakkit was bold – to legalise the bill poster. He wanted to create a legal network of affordable advertising sites specifically for the cultural sector. He felt strongly that poster campaigns provided an effective, accessible and economical to express and communicate cultural, political and community happenings. In short, he wanted Plakkit to be known as a ‘cultural crusader’.
 
At that time, bill posters were commonly used by the cultural sector as a means of advertising, but it was also a criminal offence carrying significant fines and penalties. Uncontrolled bill-postering becomes unsightly, the litter clogs up streets, storm-water drains and local waterways and the clean-up is expensive for local councils.
 
Plakkit success has grown for many reasons such as the professional and accountable service it provides and strong network, but foremost is the company’s continued support for the arts and cultural sectors. Plakkit also continues to lobby local government to provide affordable advertising spaces for the arts, as well as re-generation initiatives. Plakkit believes that for future growth, supporting these sectors is more important than ever before.