Has anyone noticed the latest branding exercise by LU and Carling to sell off another part of our culture?

Carling and LU have teamed up for a £600,000 deal for carling to set up 'Official' Busking points on the London Underground. The buskers don't actually get a penny from it, they just don't get arrested, although now all other busking is banned so that only 'Carling Buskers' can perform on the underground.

More details on this link

 http://www.thetube.com/content/pressreleases/0305/06.asp


Anyone wishing to complain should write to:
 customerservices@thetube.com

Here is a letter that I have just sent, perhaps people could use it as a template for their own?

To Whom It May Concern,

I am writing to express my extreme dislike for your 'Carling Busking' scheme. Much as I am a great fan of the many buskers on the London Underground System, I can see absolutely no benefit in turning it into a branding exercise for a company.

I understand that the buskers will be receiving no extra income for their part in becoming part of a carling marketing exercise, they simply will not be arrested. Unlike the other buskers who decide that they would rather play to an audience without being branded, and having their lifestyle turned into a profit making scheme for a beer company.

The buskers on London Underground are a great attraction and part of what makes this city the individual and unique place that people want to visit. This is precisely why a company such as Carling want to be involved, however by their very involvement they are destroying the very essence of what they are hoping to benefit from.

Strangely enough, some of the commuters on your system have enough bombardment from advertisers without the music in their ears being branded alongside every sight infront of them.

Why could you not organise such a scheme yourselves? Why not simply place LU official busking spots in the stations, or better still leave them to it. Take pride in the sub culture that you have helped to develop, don't simply sell it out to the highest bidder.

I am very very disappointed, we live in a world where we are being asked to consume constantly. There is little space left for individual inspiration without the ever present mediator of some company or other. The LU buskers were one of these things, and now they have been sold out along with every other part of our culture and heritage. I used to be proud to live in London, now it is becoming no more that a shop window for an ever fewer number of companies.

I hope you will consider my points next time you decide to go into an advertising partnership and sell on another part of London's culture.

Yours,