by thesavageway | Jul 24, 2023 | clean graffiti
We love all of the creative uses of Clean Graffiti that we can offer our clients. From general brand awareness campaigns to feel-good inspirational messages on the sidewalk, the possibilities are vast with this medium. We wanted to showcase a few of our favorite creative uses from over the years. Maybe this will inspire your next campaign with us.
For those that don’t know, Clean Graffiti is an advertising and messaging medium that The Savage Way has been offering for over 10 years now. We’ve been in 70+ markets across America and we continue to be the leaders in the U.S. in this space. Also known as Reverse Graffiti, Clean Graffiti is created using a stencil, pressure washer and naturally dirty sidewalks. We use high-pressure water to clean a message onto the sidewalk. We are not painting, spraying any chemicals or altering the integrity of the sidewalk in any way. It’s just water. 🙂 Check out some frequently asked questions here.
Now on to the creative uses of Clean Graffiti that we have loved over the years.
Tend Dentistry: New York City: The folks at Tend Dentistry in the Flatiron District in Manhattan came to us with this cheeky play-on-words that we could make into Clean Graffiti. The fact that we are both just cleaning away dirt (aka plaque) was just perfect. Love when brands can get playful and fun with their advertising.
OrthoCarolina: Multi-cities in North Carolina: OrthoCarolina had been a client of ours for a while and we had done tons of branding campaigns together (check out past project blogs for more details). However, as a group of private orthopedic surgeons who specialize in fixing broken bones, we thought of this clever “Watch Your Step” Clean Graffiti campaign. The idea was while we were out executing campaigns and we saw dangerous, broken sidewalks, we would put down this safety message for pedestrians or cyclists brought to you by OrthoCarolina. Just a subtle reminder that *if* you did need a bone specialist, you would know who to call.
(Left) Greenpeace #IStand4Solar in Charlotte, NC: The global non-profit, Greenpeace, asked us to create an impactful Clean Graffiti campaign for the Charlotte market. We wanted to do something that was not only a directive (stand here and notice) but told the passerby to use on social media (using the #). We saw great interaction with the Clean Graffiti which led users to learn more about the Greenpeace mission – to use peaceful protest and creative communication to expose global environmental problems and promote solutions that are essential to a green and peaceful future.
(Right): NC Department of Transportation, Watch For Me Campaign in small beach towns in NC: This was a campaign that we ran for several years that focused on pedestrian and cyclist safety, Watch For Me NC. We put these down across coastal beach towns that saw a huge influx of tourists in the summer months. The NCDOT gave us specific data that pinpointed where vehicles crashed with pedestrians that either ended in an accident or fatality. There are such limited advertising opportunities in these small, rural towns, so Clean Graffiti was not only a viable option, but it was welcomed as an opportunity to actually make meaningful communication with the community.
(Left) Not Just Coffee, Charlotte, NC: Not Just Coffee is a locally-owned coffee shop that came up the same time that The Savage Way did. We are friends with the owners and we pitched them the idea of Clean Graffiti with a play-on-words with their name. We know that everyone LOVES coffee and social media posts with anything coffee related always got great engagement, but NJC was so invested in the community that they were more than just a place to grab coffee. We came up with “Love People, Not Just Coffee.” Genius. We partnered with local artist, Matt Hooker, to help with the creative and this beautiful message was born!
(Right): #ExploreYour704 NoDa Brewing, OrthoCarolina in Charlotte, NC: #ExploreYour704 was an intricate idea that we came up with that included a Clean Graffiti “Scavenger Hunt,” huge mural on the side of a brewery, multiple vendors and a big launch party that encouraged walking. To say this was an unusual case study is an understatement. In fact, doing a Clean Graffiti scavenger hunt is not something we even offer, but we are obsessed with how we used dirty sidewalks to create a movement game, celebrate the city we live in and bring awareness to our clients at the same time. Read more about it in the blog.
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So that’s a quick snapshot of some of the creative uses of Clean Graffiti over the years. Check out our instagram for more examples. We look forward to creating more marketing magic using our eco-friendly advertising alternative.
by thesavageway | Mar 15, 2023 | moss art
Every month, The Savage Way has the honor of gifting a Bolt of Inspiration during Creative Mornings, which is run by the awesome organization, Charlotte is Creative. If you’re not familiar with Creative Mornings, it is a morning social gathering to embrace the creative community. We talk about important issues facing our arts & culture initiatives and enjoy a fun coffee-fueled program.
The Bolt of Inspiration is one of our favorite things to do each month. It is a chance to highlight people in the community who inspire us or who are doing awesome, creative work. Torrie gets up every month and presents a 12″ Moss Art bolt to a different recipient. Since the program’s inception, more than 40 Charlotteans have been recognized with a Bolt of Inspiration. It’s opened our eyes to so many interesting and impactful humans.
Photo credit: Dionna Bright Photography
Torrie presenting the award at a previous Creative Mornings at Wray Ward.
Starting in March 2023, we welcomed our friends at UNC Charlotte as the lead sponsor of the Bolt of Inspiration award. This was a natural partnership between Charlotte is Creative, The Savage Way and UNC Charlotte. We’ve worked with the University on several Moss Art and Clean Graffiti projects over the years These include the Dubois Center Moss Wall and Mobile Moss Wall (pictured below), along with other projects like Niner Nation Week Clean Graffiti (also pictured below) and two Moss Rental Walls for their alumni event.
With Torrie as a proud graduate of UNC Charlotte (Go Niners!), it was even sweeter to know that the school sees the hard work that creatives in our community are putting in. Check out this beautiful feature that UNC Charlotte did on Torrie Savage and The Savage Way.
Previous work of The Savage Way and UNC Charlotte.
We can’t wait to see how this sponsorship helps grow the Bolt of Inspiration program. UNC Charlotte – thank you for the opportunity to continue shining the light on Creatives in Charlotte.
If you want to nominate a local Charlottean for a Bolt of Inspiration, send us an email at [email protected] with the cool, creative things that they are up to and we will review!
by thesavageway | Jan 17, 2023 | clean graffiti
Clean Graffiti is a service that The Savage Way has been offering for almost 10 years now, and everyday we still explain it to someone for the first time. When you have created a new way to do something, this is an inevitable reality. We wanted to breakdown exactly why Clean Graffiti is a great option for clients looking to spread the word about their business.
Also known as “Reverse Graffiti,” Clean Graffiti is ideal for clients who are looking for innovative brand awareness, spreading the word of an event-driven initiative, or looking to increase their Corporate Social Responsibility. Clean Graffiti is the perfect addition to your traditional media buy because we are able to directly target your customer with an untapped resource – the sidewalk. And best of all, it’s just water – no paint, no chemicals, just water.
Seriously, let’s break it down. This is why Clean Graffiti is an amazing out-of-home marketing opportunity for your clients.
It’s Just Water (aka Eco-friendly Advertising)
Yes, it really is created simply using high pressure water and dirt. It is an eco-friendly alternative to other outdoor advertising opportunities (think billboards, bus stop ads, posters, etc). Using a pressure washer and a technologically advanced stencil, our team sprays the water on top of the stencil and leaves a clean message on a dirty sidewalk. That’s it… no chemicals, no bleach, no acid, no paint… just water! Check out this video to see a glimpse into the process.
Targeted Marketing
Clean Graffiti allows you to target your customer exactly where they are walking – the sidewalk. In this social media-crazed day-in-age, everyone is already looking down at their phone, why not leave an unexpected message on the sidewalk to drive your brand home? We always get the question of ROI. We wish we had a way to tell you exactly how many eyeballs are on your ad, but much like postering or other guerrilla style marketing efforts, we can give you a ballpark. Our team is experienced in marketing & advertising and our Founder did Media Buying for 10 years before starting The Savage Way. We know where the people are walking in these hot neighborhoods that will give the best reach for your campaign.
It’s Innovative
When you are buying media for yourself or a major client, they are always asking for the next best opportunity to get their name out there. They want to “go viral” which translates to being seen by their customers. Clean Graffiti is a great medium to pitch to your clients. It’s innovative and different and let’s them get their name in a place they have never been able to before – the sidewalk! Especially when reverse graffiti is a part of a larger media plan, we find that this non-traditional advertising purchase works so well.
Guerrilla Marketing at its Finest.
We always joke that we never thought we’d be strategically cleaning sidewalks for a living, but here we are! We get to operate in a gray area and that allows us to get creative with placements. By all means we respect the public space and are always mindful of the message in regards to the content and the actual placement (aka – we would never put a media spot directly in front of a competitor). We know that we are a new medium for people and we are always looking to partner with cities and county boards, not piss them off. Because at the end of the day we are simply taking something OFF the sidewalk. 😉
Get Creative with Branding
Clean Graffiti is a great way for companies to have some fun with their branding. We always encourage a message that is fun, witty or will make a person stop and smile. A supreme example of this was a campaign we pitched to an orthopedic surgeon’s practice where we found broken or uneven sidewalk squares and put down a “Watch Your Step” Clean Graffiti message. It was just genius – helpful to the public AND brought to you by a client who could help you if you DID fall.
Create Organic Third-Party Content
This type of unexpected messaging under your feet is an excellent example of an advertising campaign that someone will take a picture of and post to their own social media. When is the last time that someone took a picture of your client’s billboard or bus ad?? Not that often! But Clean Graffiti is cool, eco-friendly and *hopefully* a fun, lighthearted message that simply helps spread brand awareness. That organic third-party content is something that you just can’t pay for normally!
The Savage Way Team is Experienced
We have been blessed to work with so many amazing clients. Here are some of the highlights: The Rolling Stones, Talkspace, Diet Coke, Bud Light, Novant Hospital, Atrium Health, Mecklenburg County, Carolina Panthers, Carolina Hurricanes, The ACC Tournament, Clean Juice, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte FC, Lululemon, MetroHealth Cleveland, Whistlepig Whiskey and many more.
Cost Effective Out of Home Advertising Alternative
We get it. Billboards and bus ads are expensive. It is a costly investment for a 1 month run of an ad on a typical billboard opportunity, especially if you request a high-visibility board. That is what makes Clean Graffiti a fantastic alternative. Clean Graffiti gets you RIGHT under the feet of your target market for a fraction of the cost. And best of all, our spots can last anywhere from 1 month to 8 months.
How A Campaign Looks
Campaigns can all be customized but a typical package is 1 specially designed stencil, 10 Clean Graffiti media placements within a 1-2 mile radius in a targeted neighborhood/city. Our team executes end-to-end and then we provide a full recap with maps, list of locations and photos for social media use. We operate all over the USA and have been in over 75 cities. Our team is experienced and can travel almost anywhere for a job.
We find that the best practices for a Clean Graffiti campaign include using the medium for brand awareness with a funny/witty/eye-catching message. No one really likes to see just a logo on the ground. Making note that way-finding can be tough – it has to be the most perfect concrete and there is no guarantee it will be dirty on the corner to show an arrow (make sense?). We find that flexibility and trust in our team always makes the end product better for the client.
So now that you know the ins and outs of a Clean Graffiti campaign, hit us up when you are ready to finally do something different!
by thesavageway | Sep 6, 2022
Press The Savage Way in the press! Check out our coverage on Moss Art, Clean Graffiti and the company. Home Design & Decor – Triangle South Park Magazine UNC Charlotte Charlotte Magazine Ballantyne Magazine RAISING A RUKUS PODCAST CREATE x VISION CANVAS...
by thesavageway | Mar 20, 2019 | clean graffiti
The Annual College Basketball Tournament Takes Charlotte by Storm
The ACC hosts their annual men’s basketball tournament right before the start of March Madness. This year, the week-long basketball extravaganza was held at the Spectrum Arena in Uptown Charlotte. Duke University came away victorious against Florida State, but the fans were the true winners (that UNC vs Duke game though)!
As a means to bring more attention to all of the passersby that frequent the city and the festivities around the ACC Tournament, the marketing team hired us to put down some Clean Graffiti. Our eco-friendly messages are created using only dirt and water. Truly… these images are made using just a pressure washer and a specialized stencil.
We work with mother nature. A good part of our job is assessing levels of dirt on the sidewalks. So this alone can make putting down reverse graffiti a challenge. However, this time it was even more challenging because The ACC had us create some of our most detailed stencils to date. To honor the entire conference, we represented every single ACC mascot in our artwork. That’s right… 15 mascots over four stencils. Check them out…
Clean Graffiti spot for The ACC featuring the mascots from UNC Chapel Hill, University of Pittsburgh, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest University.
The second Clean Graffiti spot for The ACC featuring the mascots from Duke University, Florida State University, Georgia Tech and Notre Dame.
Spot 3 of 4 of The ACC Clean Graffiti featuring the mascots from Boston College, Clemson University, University of Louisville, and University of Virginia.
The fourth stencil for The ACC featuring the University of Miami, NC State and Syracuse mascots.
Clean Graffiti and Athletics
We absolutely love when we get to use our medium to help sports teams spread the word. We’ve now had the pleasure of working with the Carolina Panthers (twice), The Carolina Hurricanes, The University of North Carolina at Charlotte for their Inaugural Football season and now The ACC. We’ve also done some really cool bodyweight workouts for OrthoCarolina along with inspiring running messages.
For this campaign we were able highlight the mascots from UNC Chapel Hill, University of Pittsburgh, Virginia Tech, and Wake Forest University on one stencil. Duke University, Florida State University, Georgia Tech, and Notre Dame, made the second stencil. Next up was Boston College, Clemson University, University of Louisville, and University of Virginia. And last but not least, we represented Syracuse University, NC State and University of Miami. And we did this all in dirt! Natural outdoor media at its finest
We are so happy with how the project turned out. After 6 years in this reverse graffiti game, we are still consistently pushing our capabilities and our skill level. Cheers to The ACC for believing in this medium and for believing in #thesavageway.
