In the creative industry, “Exposure” has become a long-standing heist disguised as an opportunity. Every year, creatives lose an estimated US$6,620 in unpaid work—trading time, skill, and originality for a currency that holds no real value.
To expose this issue, Exposure Currency was created: a set of paper notes designed to resemble authentic dollar bills. But a closer look reveals bold lettering that reads “The Note No One Asked For” — a reminder that creativity deserves compensation, not empty promises. On the reverse, a declaration underscores the message: Exposure is not a form of payment.
The campaign, titled The Biggest Heist, extended the idea into a provocative visual world inspired by illegal money laundering. Styled in a gritty, cinematic aesthetic, the campaign reframed unpaid creative work as the industry’s greatest act of embezzlement.
Circulated with the hashtag #NoToFreeLabour, these notes were mailed to opinion leaders and media outlets as a symbolic protest, encouraging public discourse around fair pay and creative value.
Completed in 2020.
Photography by Jonathan Paul and House of Adjaycent.
Get the Notes here.