Realising that green concerns are here to stay, British media agency Curb offers nothing but low-impact advertising. Its clean advertising service (similar to Street Advertising Services and GreenGraffiti, which we featured earlier) uses rainwater to clean logos into grubby pavements, and has been joined by a four other services that are both novel and easy on the environment.
Curb creates sand sculptures of all sizes; burns patterns and logos into wood using magnifying glasses; and offers a ‘logrow’ service to cut logos as big as 30m wide into turf. Although each service is handcrafted, the agency is adamant that images are produced exactly as created digitally. Last but not least, graphics can be projected on falling sheets of water to create a memorable display. Household names have already used Curb’s services: Adidas was immortalised in grass, Volkswagen commissioned a sand sculpture and Barack Obama’s face was etched into wood.
We’re happy to see that ‘cleanvertising’ has been expanded into an entire portfolio of green(er) advertising options. Curb claim to be the world’s first and only media agency to be doing this exclusively. Which indicates that there’s space for others in different regions. Start blasting, sculpting, cutting and burning!
Website: www.mindthecurb.com
Contact: info@mindthecurb.com
Spotted by: Paul Tsannos
Once again, another of these annoying ideas that treat anywhere in the world as a place to be branded. Do they pay the city for the right to do this? If not, why not? They don't the space they're advertising on, so what gives them the right to do it. What's the difference between this and me branding a message for my company into their car, or the side of the house? Just because something can be done, doesn't mean it should be done.
Hi GT
At Curb we offer clients a range of simple, natural media that cut through the clutter of modern day advertising and where we need permissions we always seek them. Rather than brand a message into our/any car or building you could do something as simple as laying pebbles in your local park to spell out your message/service/url, photograph it and publicise it. You dont have to own that space photographed or the stones collected to create a simple effective advertisement people would love and believe us they do!
Hey Ant,
Thanks for the response - I appreciate you taking the time. I guess my problem is that if I go to a park, I want to go to a park and enjoy being in the park, not be assaulted by advertising. But if advertising has to be there, I expect the advertiser to pay a fee for the right to put their message in a public spot. My taxes pay for those spaces to be there for me to use without having to constantly read an message from an advertiser, no matter how fancy the presentation. My question to you is that when you waterblast your client's message onto a sidewalk, why aren't you paying a rental fee to the local council for the right to do that. Out of curioisty too - are you paying the Specials for the right to use their track on your site?
GT
GT
Thats a pleasure and I do undertand what you are saying. Our intention is not to be just another agency that assaults or blankets the city with rubbish advertising. Curb was created to provide smart and effective new mediums that would encourage brands to creatively use nature in the way they market their wears, rather than slapping thousands of billboards everywhere.
For the record we wouldn't without permission go into a public park and craft an ad into their turf, although we are pretty much the only company in the world that could create a suitable ad for a park that wouldnt jar with the natural surroundings. To give you an idea would it be wrong for us to do a Crayola/Disney display unit out of turf (or natural elements form the park itself) if it displayed a branded message welcoming children to a beautiful new park play area paid for the money raised by the ad?
In regard to the waterblasting, we would are very keen to work with the Council's and pay a fee where appropriate, especially as we are now one of the leading companies inthe world at doing this. Although the method we use is not illegal (hence no permission being required)we believe the Council's have a potentially huge revenue generator we can help them can monetise right infront of them and the media needs to be controlled. This, once we get there could directly benefit you as a resident from the profits the council would get from advertisers (instead of private billboard/poster owners) that they would hopefully re-invest into the local area.
Thank you again for your comments, I hope I have given you an insight into where Curb is coming from. If you have any further questions pop an email:
ant@mindthecurb.com
"To give you an idea would it be wrong for us to do a Crayola/Disney display unit out of turf (or natural elements form the park itself) if it displayed a branded message welcoming children to a beautiful new park play area paid for the money raised by the ad?"
If the public and/or council approved this or any other use of the public space IN ADVANCE it would be okay. Your method does NOT do this.
And "monetizing" public space is antithetical to my idea of public space.
These methods foster in me a distaste for the advertisers who choose them.
Check out http://www.dirtystreetadvertising.com
They have some similar services
I'm not sure how mutiliating the environment or engaging in gross water misuse counts as 'cleanvertising' or environmentally friendly. Just because there's natural elements involved doesn't mean it's green.
Nowadays, eco advertising is the future challenge of marketing. But it depends onthe reason why they want to change to these eco friendly campaign. Their efficiency or the environnemental concern ?
http://jedblogk.blogspot.com/2009/08/envie-de-marketing-eco-friendly.html
i love what your doing,, a great way forward.. is it actually legal to do the clean ads? the power washing ads ? i do think they are excellent though and dont mind seeing them. have you came across and problems with the local councils ?
Hi John
Thanks for your kind words, I would be delighted to answer all of your questions, feel free to email me directly at:
ant@curbmedia.com