by thesavageway | Feb 16, 2026 | clean graffiti
Patagonia, Diet Coke, The Rolling Stones, Lululemon, Talkspace, Greenpeace, PETA Use Creative Advertising
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
– Clean Graffiti offers large companies a unique approach to outdoor advertising, by using the sidewalk to target their target market.
– The Savage Way has worked with the likes of Coca-Cola, Patagonia, The Rolling Stones, Lululemon, Talkspace, Greenpeace and PETA on Clean Graffiti campaigns across the country.
– This media buy helps elevate a company’s Corporate Social Responsibility. It also shows innovation and creativity to use dirt as an asset. We are excited to continue to work with brands that understand that there are different media options out there.
Clean Graffiti has been a wonderful addition to our client’s marketing mix. There are traditional out-of-home advertising options like static billboards and posters, bus stop ads, digital billboards, transit ads, street furniture and wildpostings that work to get a message across. But occasionally a client needs a unique approach to a campaign and that is where Clean Graffiti comes into play. By utilizing the sidewalk, Clean Graffiti allows an option to target clients in a non-traditional way – right where they are walking every single day.
Over the years, we have had the pleasure of working with a variety of major companies on different Clean Graffiti campaigns across the country. Below we will go over a few of the memorable projects for the brands that we all know so well.
Diet Coke: We completed a four-city Clean Graffiti tour on behalf of Diet Coke and Coca-Cola Consolidated, Inc. We were busy putting down our eco-friendly outdoor advertising medium in Baltimore, MD, Memphis, TN, Greensboro, NC and Charlotte, NC.
Patagonia: Patagonia is far beyond just an accomplished outdoor retailer. They are the kind of company that inspires us to our core. They care deeply about the environment and their impact on Mother Nature. As a certified B Corp since 2012, Patagonia cemented its commitment to environmental and socially responsible practices – and it’s found in everything they do.
In recent years, we were able to create Clean Graffiti campaigns in Charlotte, NC for the South End store ( twice), Baltimore, MD for the Fells Point store (twice), Atlanta, GA for the ATL Beltline store and Nashville, TN for the 601 Overton St location.
Lululemon: Lululemon is a global luxury apparel company that is also dedicated to supporting and manifesting lifestyles for men and women while also building a community with like minded individuals. Our partnership with Lululemon grew out of a desire for us to “pave the way” into a new year with a fresh, out of the box campaign. Enter Clean Graffiti. Lululemon wanted to reach out to the collective runners of Charlotte who run to feel grounded and leave a workout feeling inspired. Since Lululemon’s goal was to encourage runners to hit the sidewalks throughout the winter months, our partnership naturally turned to connecting the dots within the Charlotte community. We were able to link Lululemon with local run clubs and some of the awesome runners this city has to offer.
Greenpeace: Greenpeace is an independent global campaigning organization that acts to change attitudes and behavior, to protect and conserve the environment and to promote peace. Our Clean Graffiti initiative was one piece of the #IStand4Solar story. We were able to create a template that embodied the solar message, art and one that sparked engagement. Our interactive piece encouraged pedestrians to put their feet in the art and take a picture.
The Rolling Stones: This campaign was such a beautiful use of our eco-friendly medium. Since the Rolling Stones are so iconic and everyone associates the “mouth” with this band, the stencil could be kept clean and simple. No words, no call to action – just a teaser that also acts as brand awareness. And to utilize the sidewalks where potential concert-goers are walking everyday is the perfect new way to reach their audience.
Talkspace: Talkspace is an online mental health platform that makes it easy to talk to connect with a licensed therapist in a convenient & secure way from the comfort of your phone – whenever, wherever. They have simplified the approach to mental health, and we are here for it.
Together, we partnered on a Clean Graffiti campaign in two major US cities, Los Angeles, CA and Austin, TX. “Healing is a journey, every step counts.” @Talkspace. This simple, direct message on the sidewalk communicates to the public that mental health should be a priority and that anything that you are doing to heal is a step in a positive direction.
PETA: We did a Clean Graffiti campaign for the animal rights organization, PETA (People for the Ethical Rights of Animals), in Austin, TX surrounding the use of forced monkey labor with certain Whole Foods Thai Coconut Milk products. We placed spots around Whole Foods and their corporate headquarters in order for PETA to bring awareness to this injustice. This truly grass roots effort was a great way for this activist organization to bring awareness to an important animal cause.
In Summary
It’s amazing to witness these huge corporations embrace an alternative advertising avenue such as Clean Graffiti. Seeing Big Business use some of their marketing dollars in a green and sustainable way is something we are definitely here for!
Not only does this media buy help elevate the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility, it also shows innovation and creativity to use dirt as an asset. We are excited to continue to work with brands that understand that there are different media options out there. Our Clean Graffiti lets you directly target where your audience is walking every single day – the sidewalk. It is a subtle, unexpected message that can bring a smile to your customers face.
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!
