by thesavageway | May 20, 2026 | clean graffiti, Uncategorized
It’s Mental Health Awareness Month and we are honored to be a part of the RHA Health Services “Get My Me Back’ campaign. We used the power of non-traditional marketing, aka Clean Graffiti, to bring attention to something that so many people need – mental health services.
“Get My Me Back” recognizes what makes each person unique and empowers them to rediscover the parts of their lives that matter most to them. Many people who are struggling deeply feel the loss of simple, everyday parts of life — things like their jobs, hobbies, events, or spending time with their loved ones. The campaign reminds people that it’s possible to reconnect with who they are, that treatment options are available and accessible, and that they can get back to a life that feels like theirs. (source: RHA website)
We created a multi-city Clean Graffiti campaign to spread awareness for the behavioral health services that RHA offers. We went to Asheville, NC, Hendersonville, NC and Lenoir, NC with our eco-friendly advertising. The campaign went down along popular walking paths in these cities and where people typically congregate. With 35 spots spread across these three cities, the reach was definitely meaningful.
We had the pleasure of working with Miller Integrated Marketing on behalf of RHA Health Services. Working with an agency always makes the campaign process so seamless. We are able to work together to bring the client’s vision to life. The creative for the Clean Graffiti campaign is simple yet incredibly impactful and right on brand with the other marketing materials. The message of “Get My Me Back” stands alone as a message for the masses with a simple URL to learn more information.
Mental health awareness should be happening well beyond this one month of May. That’s why organizations like RHA Health Services are so important. The support and guidance that they offer is top tier. And we love how the simple reminder to “Get My Me Back” speaks volumes. When you’re facing mental health or substance use issues, more than just the big things slip away — you lose the everyday moments that make you feel like you. We love what RHA is doing for the community. Don’t be afraid to seek help.
In North Carolina, RHA is a statewide provider offering behavioral health services to adults & children.
Services vary by location. Please call 800.848.0180 or visit our locations page to find contact information for a specific location.
by thesavageway | Nov 13, 2025 | clean graffiti
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 its found in everything they do.
Patagonia Uses Eco-Friendly Advertising
When we got the call to create multiple Clean Graffiti campaigns for Patagonia, we were elated to extend their environmentally-friendly practices to the outdoor advertising space. Clean Graffiti is created by using dirt on a sidewalk and high pressure water. We make a contrast in the dirt and leave a “clean message on a dirty sidewalk.” There are no paint, chemicals or bleach used. It’s just cleaning. So for a company that cares so deeply about protecting the environment, Clean Graffiti is an excellent choice for an OOH option. “The environmental impact (or lack thereof) of Clean Graffiti was definitely a key factor in determining what kind of local marketing we were interested in using,” said Andrew Farison, Retail Events Marketing Specialist for Patagonia.
“Patagonia’s experience using Clean Graffiti has been fantastic, leaning into a creative and eco-friendly way to help promote store locations and drive awareness in new markets in particular has proven to be a very efficient and cost-effective local marketing strategy,” continued Farison.
In recent years, we were able to hit the markets of:
– Charlotte, NC for the South End store – twice
– Baltimore, MD for the Fells Point store – twice
– Atlanta, GA for the ATL Beltline store
– Nashville, TN for the 601 Overton St store
The spots went down in high-foot traffic areas near the stores. We tried to find the popular walking paths where there was the most accumulated dirt on the sidewalks. We love how we were able to translate the Patagonia branding into stencil format – whether it was their traditional logo or a more artistic interpretation of the brand.
Making an Impact
The spots speak for themselves! Gorgeous, eye-catching and right where potential customers are walking – the sidewalk. It’s great how just using nature can make an incredible visual impact.
We love this quote from their website, “At Patagonia, we appreciate that all life on earth is under threat of extinction. We’re using the resources we have – our business, our investments, our voice and our imaginations – to do something about it.” Now THAT is what it means to stand on business. Honored to continue working with such a forward-thinking brand / company.
by thesavageway | Apr 24, 2024 | clean graffiti
Ever since our hometown (Charlotte, NC) got a Major League Soccer team (shout out Charlotte FC), we have all been feeling the soccer hype. So, when we got a call from a large agency that works with United Stated Soccer Federation (U.S. Soccer), we knew were going for goal.
We worked with You Are Here Agency, a sponsorship and activation agency, on a Clean Graffiti campaign for the U.S. Soccer & The U.S. Women’s National Team’s “SheBelieves Cup” in Atlanta, GA. This tournament hosting international teams was a major moment for women’s soccer, and YAH Agency wanted to bring more attention to the upcoming game. That is where Clean Graffiti came in as the perfect advertising companion.
We ran a campaign throughout the city of Atlanta that helped drive traffic to the SheBelieves Cup website. The spots were placed in popular walking areas throughout busy neighborhoods. With a goal of general awareness, along with ticket sales, our eco-friendly sidewalk advertising became a great way to grab the attention of potential customers in an unexpected way.
More about SheBelieves:
“Inspired by the U.S. Women’s National Team, SheBelieves is a movement to encourage young women and girls to reach their dreams, athletic or otherwise. The campaign was originally launched in the run-up to the 2015 Women’s World Cup and has evolved into a special bond between U.S. Soccer and its fans, taking a powerful message of empowerment and that of believing in yourself into communities across the nation.”
The 2024 SheBelieves Cup, presented by Visa, featured the USWNT, Brazil, Canada and Japan. The USA defeated Japan in a semifinal 2-1, and captured its fifth consecutive and seventh overall SheBelieves Cup title, defeating Canada 5-4 in a penalty kick shootout following a 2-2 draw through regulation. (source from U.S. Soccer website)
We absolutely love what this organization stands for. We need more empowerment, utilization of resources and encouragement for women and young girls. And we are honored to be able to have contributed to the marketing of this event with our Clean Graffiti (aka reverse graffiti).
by thesavageway | Jan 31, 2024 | clean graffiti
Our eco-friendly outdoor advertising alternative, Clean Graffiti, is such a wonderful solution for creative marketing for Multi-Family Living and other apartment complexes to spread the word about apartment availability. In a world that is flush with social media ads, billboards, magazine ads and more, our unexpected sidewalk ads bring an entirely new level of creative marketing ideas for apartment living.
Clean Graffiti, also known as reverse graffiti, is created using a specialized stencil, a pressure washer and dirty concrete. We are literally creating something out of mother nature’s waste. It’s a creative & green option for marketing departments and multi-family developers to utilize. We (The Savage Way) can tap into an untapped resource and get a message out in an unexpected way.
We’ve had the pleasure of creating campaigns for several developers, property management companies and multi-family living communities all over the country in the past decade. Below we show several examples of how these companies were able to use our eco-friendly advertising with their fun branded messaging.
CLEAN GRAFFITI CLIENTS IN THE MULTI-FAMILY LIVING CATEGORY:
GREYSTAR
Atlantic Grand Oaks Charleston
400H Apartments (Raleigh)
WOOD PARTNERS
Abberly NoDa Vista (formerly Alta Warp & Weft Charlotte)
NOVEL by Crescent Communities:
Novel West Midtown (Atlanta)
30Six NoDA (formerly Novel NoDa)
NORTHWOOD RAVIN:
Village at Commonwealth (Charlotte)
Providence Row (Charlotte)
Residence at Capitol View (Nashville)
Cortland Communities (Phoenix)
Scott Crossing (Decatur, GA)
Galleries at Park Lane (Dallas)
Van Alen (Durham)
Carolina Square (Chapel Hill)
GRAYCO
Arlo Apartments
If you are looking for new ways of creative marketing for Multi-Family Living or are part of the marketing departments tasked with outreach, you know how difficult it is at times to continue to come up with unique selling tactics. Consider Clean Graffiti for your next out-of-the-box marketing idea. We can help from design to execution and can’t wait to talk with you.
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.
