Welcome to the advert.

When the full page ad we was offered in the London Review of Books the sense that this was an opportunity to explore how to play with the form seemed tantalisingly attractive. At the same time given Fourth Doors record of experimentation across media it seemed important to try and push the envelope of what an ad was and what it could be.

The initial result has been to mix three very different messages at several levels. First the requirement from the LRB bods was a text centred design which was about getting as much straight info about Fourth Door Review across to their sizeable and hyper-informed readership. Next, by rather timely happenstance Marlene Ivey's surreal though completely unambiguous beach installation appeared over the horizon right on schedule. From this evocative image the discourses of the future rising tides, flooded countries, and the overall scenarios imparted by climate change suggested themselves. To get that picture into the leading British cultural review could push a thousand buttons in a thousand minds right across the planet. And do so without a word.

Last to draw in a link and to add depth to the water narrative, the language and metaphors being used, replays the need for metaphysical water in our present day academic, technocratic and information sourced language-heavy topographies. It's left at that, at the edge of suggestion, possibly oblique, for people to make of what you will.

Or at least this is what we thought we were doing. If you have thoughts about the ad, from the design of the concept, to its efficacy you are invited to participate in the discussion group which has been set up for this specific purpose. Feel free and feel welcome to add your voice. Welcome to the ad.

web discussion group...