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IMAGINE
BILLBOARD
 
MIKE MANDEL
CHANTAL ZAKARI
2012
Images

In the fall of 2011 Walmart purchased a 20 year lease on 280,000 sq ft property at 202-204 Arsenal Street in our hometown of Watertown, MA. In protest we decided to run an election campaign for Town Councilor and raised awareness. After the election, in early spring through crowd fundraising we raised money to have a billboard made. Over a hundred Watertown residents contributed funds to the design and installion of a 10’ x 22’ billboard located at the site where the proposed Walmart would be built. We raised more than $4,500 in two weeks of fundraising and the billboard was on view for 2 months. 

We organized the opening event and protest rally as a media event by sending out a press release. We also designed and published a companion piece in the Boston's Dig to make our cause visible to the greater Boston area. By the end of June 2012 Walmart announced it was pulling out of the proposal in Watertown.

INTRODUCTION

See companion piece:

FUNDRAISING & OPENING RALLY
Press and Reviews
PRESS

WATERTOWN TAB Anti-Walmart activists protest Watertown development 
by Erin Baldessari, May 6, 2012

CBS LOCAL BOSTON(WBZ)Dozens Protest Walmart's Desire To Open Store in Watertown, 
by Mark Katic, May 5, 2012

BOSTON PHOENIX Watertown vs Walmart by Greg Cook, May 7, 2012
 
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