The first time that I came across something like this was in Canada. I remember looking at a hillside that ran alongside the roadway and seeing a Coca-Cola ad created entirely from shrubs. That was several years ago but I was reminded of it a couple of months ago while at Disney World. At Epcot there were ads on the grounds made entirely from flowers. I was struck by how fantastic this idea is. Let's face it - advertising isn't going anywhere soon. But at the very least can't we require something more of advertisers. Rather than allowing them carte blanche to ruin every landscape & surface imaginable - why does we insist that they better the view? When you consider the staggering amount spent on advertisements each year, does it make sense that the money not only inform but also contribute?
I spent a little time researching this idea and came across a company called Curb. Curb is the world's first natural media company. They offer a large number of media solutions with only the use of natural elements. Take a look at some of their concepts:
Low grow - ingenious ways of re-creating brands and adverts using high quality shrubs, plants, turf and natural elements such as wood and natural stone to create brand logos in almost any color you can imagine. These are built to last indefinitely and can be displayed in an indoor environment for up to 8 weeks.
Crop ads:
Mow Ad:
Rake ad:
Compost art - Our experts can literally carve or recreate any message, brand, logo or even building using natural Compost. And before you ask, all of the natural compost they use is manure free, so there is never a need to stand up-wind of the brilliant natural displays!
Solar art - This incredible natural media is created using nothing but the power of the sun's rays, a magnifying glass and the skill of their artist who is able to burn the most intricate patterns, portraits and logos into wood.
Wood carving - Our wood carving expert can literally re-create any message, artwork or logo from wood. At Curb we don't usually like to blow our own whistle but our wood carving expert is the royal wood carver, so rest assured the quality and detail we can deliver is quite literally sensational. Our expert has decades of wood carving experience and has done pieces for everyone from HRH Prince William to the Emperor of Japan. Whatever you want done in wood, from small displays to huge wood poster billboards Curb can carve them to perfection!
Snow tagging:
Sand carving:
Sea tagging:
Clean advertising - Clean advertising is a beautifully simple and highly targeted natural media which works by literally cleaning your advert in any high footfall urban location. Also known as reverse graffiti, clean graffiti and street advertising, we use specialist equipment and laser cut stencils to selectively clean the dirt away from pavements and walls. The resultant clean advert is created by the stark contrast between the original colour of the dirty surface and the as new clean color. Clean advertising lasts for anywhere from 2 to 20 weeks dependant on the location and we use nothing but filtered rainwater to clean the advertisement into dirty surfaces.
learn more about Curb's offerings here.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009 
