BATON ROUGE, La., Oct. 6, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lamar Advertising Company (Lamar) (Nasdaq:LAMR), one of the largest out-of-home advertising companies in North America, has partnered with Rareform, a Los Angeles-based outdoor gear company that repurposes billboards into unique bags and accessories, to launch Art Lives. This unique sustainability campaign gives artwork and billboards a second life as repurposed, one-of-a-kind bags and accessories.
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A photo accompanying this release is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=36727
For the first installment of Art Lives, Lamar and Rareform teamed up with world-renowned graphic artist Milton Glaser, who designed the "I Heart NY" logo and developed memorable "Mad Men" ads. Replacing an ad with artwork, Lamar installed Glaser's "It's Not Warming, It's Dying" campaign on its billboard space located at Crenshaw Blvd and W. 59th Pl. in Los Angeles. The artwork will be displayed throughout the month of October. After Glaser's work comes down, Rareform will repurpose the artwork, creating limited-edition backpacks, messenger bags and accessories in the first of its Artist Series collection.
"We're sharing artwork from Milton Glaser, the 'godfather of graphic art', and transforming billboards in a way that people may not have thought possible," said Rareform Founder Alec Avedissian. "Art Lives promotes Rareform's and Lamar's shared commitment to art and the environment, and we hope that it inspires people to do more."
Lamar has had an exclusive partnership with Rareform since 2012, supplying tons of PVC billboards that now accompany surfboards to surf breaks all over the world.
"Lamar Advertising is committed to sustainable business practices, and we couldn't ask for a better partner than Rareform. The people at Rareform are amazing in many ways, and they give our billboards a second life as backpacks, surfboard bags, wallets and accessories," said Greg Gauthier, Director of Sustainability & Product Research at Lamar Advertising Company. "The Art Lives campaign tells the story of the Lamar/Rareform partnership. We are proud to share this story by using billboards to promote the work of such an iconic artist, giving Milton's artwork a second life as well."
Approximately 500,000 people will see the billboard during the course of the campaign. "Typically billboards are viewed by people as a purely commercial vehicle for distributing a message," said Michael Cossota, Sales Manager of Lamar Advertising of Los Angeles. "This campaign gives us the opportunity to showcase artwork and enhance an urban environment. We're excited to share the artwork with people right here in Los Angeles."
Rareform will manufacture approximately 300 limited-edition backpacks and messenger bags from the Milton Glaser billboard in Los Angeles. The number of products will be constrained by the quantity of repurposed billboard material available for use, truly making this a "limited release". Scrap pieces will be turned into lapel pins and key chains with the intent to repurpose all of Glaser's artwork into a second life in another form.
"At Lamar, we are constantly trying to push the boundaries of the out-of-home media space we occupy," said Allie McAlpin, Communications Director of Lamar Advertising Company. "By working together on Art Lives, Lamar and Rareform are privileged to have the opportunity to offer something not only noteworthy, but also noble. We are helping to promote the message of sustainability with tangible art pieces which can be used by people in their everyday lives."
At the end of November, Rareform will host a gallery showing in Los Angeles. The exhibit will feature exclusive videos, photos and products from the Art Lives project, as well as some of Glaser's other famous work.
Please visit http://igg.me/at/art-lives to purchase limited-edition products from Milton Glaser's billboard or to learn more about Art Lives.
About Lamar Advertising Company
Founded in 1902, Lamar Advertising Company (Nasdaq:LAMR) is one of the largest outdoor advertising companies in North America, with more than 315,000 displays across the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Lamar offers advertisers a variety of billboard, interstate logo and transit advertising formats, helping both local businesses and national brands reach broad audiences every day. In addition to its more traditional out-of-home inventory, Lamar is proud to offer its customers the largest network of digital billboards in the United States with over 2,000 displays. Please feel free to explore our website www.lamar.com or contact us for additional information.
About Rareform
RAREFORM is a sustainable outdoor gear and lifestyle brand committed to creating goods made from upcycled billboards. Since its inception in 2012, RAREFORM has grown from initially creating just surfboard bags to currently offering a wide array of bags including backpacks, totes, wallets, laptop sleeves, and more. RAREFORM's products are durable and weather-resistant, and each has a one-of-a-kind design. Aside from upcycling billboard materials, RAREFORM is committed to giving back through the environmental campaign 1% For The Planet. For more information, please visit our website www.rareform.com.
CONTACT: Press Contacts:
Alec Avedissian
Rareform
(805) 419-3507
alec@rareform.com
Allie McAlpin
Lamar Advertising Company
(225) 926-1000
amcalpin@lamar.com
Kara Morin
Rareform
kara@rareform.com
