4TH AMENDMENT WEAR
PRODUCT INVENTION/ SOCIAL ACTIVISM
I created 4th Amendment Wear as a form of social protest / activist art. After inventing a proprietary metallic ink, I worked with a design partner to launch printed undergarments that would safely display the 4th Amendment to the US Constitution while undergoing X-ray airport scans.
We created the clothing, website and PR campaign in less than two weeks, launching it at the highpoint of the cultural conversation.
The social awareness and marketing campaign generated millions of global impressions and earned the brand millions of dollars worth of free media.
The 4th Amendment Wear product line sold out immediately, with over $20k of sales in the first few weeks alone.
Since the launch, the product and campaign have gone on to become the 5th Most Awarded Advertising Campaign in the World. It has also garnered numerous innovation, business and social activism accolades.
In a matter of days, the project was featured in news media around the world and the first three runs of the product immediately sold out.
The project helped fuel the debate around the multi-billion dollar backscatter X-Ray technology used for full body airline passenger scans. These scans revealed outlines of individual's private parts, and my intent was to raise the question of whether or not the backscatter technology violated an individual's constitutional right to privacy in the United States.
The message displayed in Backscatter X-Ray machine confronted the issue at the moment
it became an issue.
Personally, I support comprehensive security measures when traveling. I believe we have as much of a right to safety as we do to privacy. I also support the TSA and their mission to protect the public.
But I questioned the scope and viability of such detailed backscatter technology being used on passengers while cargo was being loaded onto the same airliners unscanned. Multi-billion dollar contracts were awarded at a time when our collective fear was at a critical level.
The metallic ink I created didn't interfere with security measures in any way,
but it performed 'technological judo'/ hack by displaying a humorous message when scanned.
When the 4th Amendment was (arguably) violated, scan operators would also see the 4th Amendment, closing the loop.
This project highlighted the contradictions between inconsistent security measures, and questioned the limits of individual privacy. It also helped bring the details of the preferential government contracts to the fore.
The 4th Amendment Wear helped fuel a debate that eventually led to the implementation of more accurate yet less invasive body scan technology in all airports.
This Intellectual Property is protected by United States Copyright, Timmovations LLC
Initial test by Backscatter X-Ray manufacturer
Most importantly:
Once I achieved my initial goal of stimulating debate and helping affect change, I spun off the commercial brand as a separate entity. While Timmovations continues to hold the copyrights and IP to the invention, The 4th Amendment Wear brand is no longer operated by Timmovations LLC.
Oh, and now it's been featured on Jeopardy.