Shepard Fairey is best known for his Barack Obama "Hope" poster that he created in 2008. The image, which originally said "Progress," attracted viewers from around the world and placed him squarely in the mainstream.
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The exposure attracted commercial interests, to be sure -- though he had already been courting brands like Nike, Fuji Bikes and Netscape since the 1990s. He co-launched the guerrilla marketing firm BLK/MRKT in 1997, where he worked with Pepsi, Hasbro and other big names. In 2003, he opened his Studio Number One design agency -- not long after officially launching his Obey clothing line.
This all started by happenstance in 1989. That's when Fairey decided to create his "Andre The Giant Has A Posse" sticker campaign, which overnight led to a decade of underground "Obey" campaigns.
Steven Colbert once joked, "I forgot that I was supposed to 'obey,' until I saw 'obey' on the street corner."
Which is, of course, the message at the heart of Fairey's propaganda-inspired brand (his work is Influenced by Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein). Question everything.
Though Fairey received a deal of criticism for being a "sell-out" after he started working with some major companies, private partners have not only given Fairey more exposure, but allowed him to continue doing the more underground-style political campaigns that won him fame. This is how he defends himself:
"I’ve been hearing some cries of “SELLOUT!” over the various products for sale. I put all the profits back into more stickers and posters for the street, because that is my love, not money. People have different reasons for liking GIANT and I can understand people not wanting to see it leave the underground niche it has enjoyed for so many years. All I can say is that even in the commercial applications of OBEY/GIANT I am attempting to retain the rebellious spirit of the street project."
Fairey's messages have always been anti-consumerism.
Fairey says Eastern consumers identify with his work: "Graffiti seems to be big with lots of forward thinking brands right now. Especially in Japan."
Netscape was one of Fairey's first big corporate clients. He designed the mozilla lizard in 1998.
He took on Netscape as a founder of BLK/MRKT.
Adidas built its "Impossible Is Nothing" campaign around Muhammad Ali in 2004.
Fairey was one of seven artists who painted Cassius Clay designs, which were then used on shoes and other Nike merchandise. The "Nothing Is Impossible" campaign did so well, that it's synonymous with Adidas today.
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