Advertising that targets everyone

۳ آبان ۱۴۰۳ News

Maybe you have seen Mullvad VPN ads in the subway or in the streets. There is a reason why we enjoy to run outdoor ads: traditional outdoor ads don’t collect data or micro-target people.

Yellow subway train at Union Station wrapped in a Mullvad VPN ad with mole mascot and text: FREE THE INTERNET, FIGHT FOR PRIVACY, MULLVAD VPN. Mullvad VPN ads out in the wild. More units down below.

At Mullvad VPN, we have a very clear position on marketing. We have a strong policy against paying for reviews, a total ban on working with affiliate marketing, and we never pay influencers.

Since our entire existence is about opposing mass surveillance and censorship, we are also against behavioral advertising and we do not engage in ads that micro-target people based on personal data and online habits. You can read more about our advertising policy here.

Internet does not have to revolve around the collection of personal data. You can "target" your advertising by buying ads based on topics (Google ads related to what you are currently searching for or related to the specific website you are currently visiting) instead of based on personal data (Google ads based on your accumulated internet behavior).

Instead of micro-targeted advertising, we believe in advertising that targets a non-personal and broad audience. One way to do that is to run traditional outdoor ads. This is something that we do and we do it to raise awareness of our VPN service and our browser (of course). We also do it for other reasons. For instance, we have used outdoor advertising to oppose law proposals (chat control). Our goal is simply not just to let people know we exist. We also want to use advertising to raise awareness about privacy and create a mass resistance against mass surveillance, data collection and censorship. We want to see a broad discussion around these issues.

During 2023-2024, we made several major outdoor campaigns, primarily in the USA. These campaigns have focused on raising awareness about mass surveillance and criticizing the behavioral ad systems used by big tech companies. Here’s a selection for those who haven’t come across the ads in the streets.

Large yellow Mullvad VPN billboard: WE HAVE NO IDEA WHO OUR CUSTOMERS ARE. MAYBE THEY ALL LIVE IN DALLAS. WELL, THEN THIS AD WAS A WASTE.

Two yellow Mullvad VPN billboards on brick buildings: "YOU THE PEOPLE HAVE THE POWER" and "FREE THE INTERNET FROM MASS SURVEILLANCE".

Yellow Mullvad VPN billboards: 'Mass surveillance is made by machine men with machine hearts' and 'Privacy is for the people' on city buildings.

Mullvad VPN billboards: A SOCIETY THAT GIVES UP FREEDOM FOR SAFETY WILL LOSE BOTH. MASS SURVEILLANCE IS MADE BY MACHINE MEN WITH MACHINE HEARTS.

Yellow Mullvad VPN billboard by a passing train: TAKE A DIFFERENT ROUTE HOME. MESS UP THE LOCATION DATA SYSTEM. MULLVAD VPN.

Mullvad VPN yellow wall advertisement: SOME COMPANIES KNEW YOU WERE GOING TO PASS THIS AD TODAY. WE JUST TOOK A CHANCE. MULLVAD VPN

Yellow Mullvad VPN billboard: IF YOU EVER DRIVE PAST THIS AD AGAIN, IT WON'T RECOGNIZE YOU. IMAGINE THAT ONLINE. DOWNLOAD MULLVAD VPN AND BROWSER.

Yellow Mullvad VPN street ads. Left: Not even the Mullvad Browser can protect you from this ad. Right: This ad won't follow you down the street. It won't walk into every store you walk into. Imagine that online. Download Mullvad VPN and Mullvad Browser.

Yellow Mullvad VPN billboard: JUST ANOTHER AD THAT WON'T TARGET YOU BASED ON YOUR INTERNET BEHAVIOR. MULLVAD VPN.

Comic: If your friend was a commercial search engine. Man: "WHAT IS THIS? YOU'VE BEEN KEEPING NOTES ON ME FOR THE LAST 20 YEARS?!! AND YOU'RE SELLING THEM?!" Friend: "UHM... IT'S SO I CAN BE A BETTER FRIEND TO YOU."

Mullvad VPN billboards. Comic about search engines selling data. Text: Imagine a world where your friends know you better than your search engine.

Cookies in Real Life cartoon: A man tells shoppers to read a 50-page agreement and let us know how you'd like to be tracked or spied on.

Yellow Mullvad VPN billboard with mole logo: YOU COME TO A CROSSROAD. YOU STOP TO READ AN AD. YOU SPEND APPROXIMATELY 18 SECONDS TOGETHER, YOU AND THE AD. IT'S A QUICK ENCOUNTER. THEN IT'S OVER. IF YOU EVER COME TO THIS CROSSROAD AGAIN, THIS AD WON'T REMEMBER YOU. IMAGINE THAT ONLINE. DOWNLOAD MULLVAD VPN AND MULLVAD BROWSER. MULLVAD VPN.

A person looks at a Mullvad VPN ad on an NYC bus: IMAGINE A WORLD WHERE YOUR INNER THOUGHTS ARE YOUR OWN. DOWNLOAD MULLVAD VPN AND MULLVAD BROWSER.

Mullvad VPN bus advertisement with yellow wrap and purple text: FREE THE INTERNET FROM MASS SURVEILLANCE.

Yellow city bus with a Mullvad VPN advertisement reading: Mullvad VPN, Privacy is for the people.

Mullvad VPN ads on buses and a bus stop. Text: This ad won't remember you; Mess up the location data system; Just another ad without noticing you.

Yellow Mullvad VPN ad: We have no idea who our customers are. Maybe they all live in Boston. Well, then this ad was a waste. Mullvad VPN.

Mullvad VPN billboard at Courthouse station entrance: We put most of our ads underground. Felt like the right thing to do.

Yellow pillar with Mullvad VPN logo and text: MULLVAD VPN, ELEVATOR SILVER LINE - SL1/SL2, AWESOME MULLVAD VPN ADS THIS WAY, and a down arrow.

Row of green Mullvad VPN ads in a transit station: JUST ANOTHER AD THAT WON'T TARGET YOU BASED ON YOUR INTERNET BEHAVIOR. MULLVAD VPN.

Mullvad VPN station ads: Download Mullvad VPN and Browser. If you ever wait for the train here again, this ad won't remember you. Imagine that online.

Four Mullvad VPN ads: FREE THE INTERNET; right to own beliefs; right to privacy for an open society; If you have nothing to hide you have nothing to fear.

Two Mullvad VPN train ads: "This ad won't recognize you" and "This ad won't remember you. Imagine that online." Download Mullvad VPN and Browser.