This group wants to replace ads on the Tube with cat pictures

LONDON -- Imagine a world in which you didn't have to go on the Internet to see pictures of cats -- they were right there in front of your face on your daily commute.

One group in London dreams of making this utopia a reality. The Citizens Advertising Takeover Service (CATS) is raising money to replace every ad in a London Underground station with pictures of cats.

"Wouldn’t it be great not to worry about the holiday we can't afford, the car we don’t need, or the body we don’t have? Imagine a world where public spaces made you feel good," the group writes on its Kickstarter page. 

The project is from a group called Glimpse, who say they are a "group of creative people who want to use our social skills for good." 

They're looking to raise £23,000 (£33,605), which they say should be enough to replace all the ads on a platform in one of the smaller stations with pictures of our furry friends.

If they get £75,000, they can cover a small station. More than that? Perhaps Oxford Circus -- consumer frenzy central -- can go feline. At the time of writing, they had raised over £3,500, with 21 days to go.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

The group says they've been told they'll be allowed to do it if they raise the money. They point out that it is, indeed, a silly project, but try to explain the deeper meaning behind their convictions.

"Dumb yes, but also this is about trying something, flexing our collective voice in the most idiotic of ways. From all this madness something amazing could happen. Perhaps we'll start to realise that buying stuff isn't making us happy."

"Maybe cats won't make us happy either, but it’s got to be better than insurance adverts."

"Maybe cats won't make us happy either, but it’s got to be better than insurance adverts."

The rewards for the campaign include, for £5, an ad blocker that replaces ads online with cat pictures, and a T-shirt for £30. 

For £100, your cat will be featured on one of the posters, becoming famous instantly. "We'll tell you when the ad is ready, and you can visit the platform to take the best selfie ever," the group says.

While this is a more creative way to raise awareness of advertising in public spaces, some cities have outright banned advertising, although the bans are generally on billboards or outdoor advertising.

The Brazilian city of São Paulo banned outdoor advertising in 2007. Grenoble, France, became the first European city to ban commercial street advertising in 2014. 

It all sounds peaceful and idyllic, but advertising can be an important source of revenue for cities and so the discussion on whether advertising is "visual pollution" or just a part of city life will undoubtedly continue.

In the meantime though, perhaps worn-out Londoners can enjoy some cats on their daily commute.

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