Web-based ads tend to twist consumer desire into generically seductive fantasies that are far removed from the product they're hawking. Japanese new media collective Candy Factory exploits this disconnect as a platform for innovative social critique. Several of their Flash movies feature a synthesized voice singing text from web advertisements over images that enhance, contradict, or confound the ad's message. From sentimental personal ads to songs beckoning tourists to a small island resort doubling as a repository for foreign refugees denied entry to Italy, Candy Factory's croonings are always pointedly abstracted from the individuals, places, and products they sell. Their latest project is no exception. In a propaganda service called 'Tokyo Rose Advertising,' the group offers to set webpages, marketing campaigns, and even political advertisements to original music regardless of their content. Check the project webpage to consider their offer to sing the text of any and all marketing materials, and let the pixilated spokesmodel promise to sell your fantasy with the cold, flat sexiness of a digital jingle. - Bill Hanley
