Charlotte FC Launches Inaugural Season With Clean Graffiti

Charlotte FC Launches Inaugural Season With Clean Graffiti

Charlotte is now officially a soccer city, and we are here for it! Charlotte FC, our city’s first professional MLS team, has taken the Queen City by storm. Did you catch the last game against Nashville SC? Our guys electrified the arena with a 4-1 win! It was incredible.

THE CAMPAIGN

Here at The Savage Way, we had the opportunity to collaborate with Charlotte FC on a Clean Graffiti campaign. Our guerilla style of outdoor advertising was used to create some hype around the inaugural season and asked the important question, “Are You Ready to Party?!” We placed 18 Clean Graffiti spots in high foot-traffic areas to spread the word. Spots ended up in areas such as Plaza Midwood, NoDa, Elizabeth, Uptown, and Wesley Heights.

Eight photo collage of Clean Graffiti (a pressure washed message on a sidewalk) for Charlotte FC in Charlotte, NC.

THE DESIGN

The design of the stencil for this reverse graffiti campaign consisted of a crown, along with the words “Are You Ready to Party?” and the Instagram handle; @charlottefc. The four-point crown represents the team’s logo, the tagline enhances the energy, and the handle is so you can connect with the team first hand. This eco-friendly medium is an innovative way to connect with the audience.

Photo of a feet standing near a Clean Graffiti message that reads "Are you ready to Party? @CharlotteFC" on a sidewalk in Charlotte, NC.

The Savage Way placed a Clean Graffiti spot for Charlotte FC on the Uptown streets of Charlotte, NC.

Clean Graffiti is created by making a contrast on the sidewalk using high pressure water over a custom stencil. (A Clean Message on a Dirty Sidewalk as we always say).  Not only is reverse graffiti eco-friendly, but it’s an eye-catching message that can be used for brand awareness campaigns, events or a call-to-action. The spots can be placed anywhere a sidewalk is present making it not only creative, but accessible to everyone. 

So yeah, we are ready to party! The energy that Charlotte FC is bringing to this city is palpable. Stoked to have another team to cheer for! Learn more about Charlotte FC and get game updates on their website & Instagram.

 

The Savage Way Update

The Savage Way Update

HELLO! WE ARE THE SAVAGE WAY.

We wanted to take a moment to reintroduce ourselves. We’re The Savage Way – a woman owned & led team of artists, marketers and creatives. We have been busy over the past few years and wanted to share some updates.

2021 COMPANY FAST FACTS

  • Moved our studio to a 4,500 sqft warehouse in Charlotte, NC
  • Rebranded & relaunched thesavageway.com
  • Entered 7 new markets for Clean Graffiti including LA, Austin & Cleveland
  • Began creating large scale Fern Frames for residential and corporate clients
  • Launched our Moss Art Online Shop
  • First Art show at The Brooklyn Collective
  • Welcomed 7 new team members

For those of you new here, we exclusively do two things – Moss Art and Clean Graffiti.

A split screen of Moss Art and Clean Graffiti by The Savage Way

MORE ABOUT CLEAN GRAFFITI

Clean Graffiti, aka reverse graffiti, is an outdoor advertising campaign that is innovative, eco-friendly and a great way to capture the attention of your target market where they walk – the sidewalk. And best of all, it’s created using just water – no paint, no chemicals, just water. Our advanced stencil technology allows us to maintain brand standards for some of the biggest brands – The Rolling Stones, NFLs Carolina Panthers, major healthcare companies and more.

4 pictures of Clean Graffiti, pressure washed messages on the sidewalk

2021 CLIENTS

Our clients took us across the country for these eco-friendly advertising campaigns including Los Angeles, CA, Austin, TX and Cleveland, OH!

  • Talkspace in Austin & Los Angeles
  • Rolling Stones / Tepper Sports & Entertainment
  • Multifamily Apartments: Northwood Ravin (multi-city), Cortland Apartments in Texas
  • Cacti Launch for Anheuser-Busch
  • Public Health: Anti-Gun violence campaign with Meck County/Novant Health/Atrium Health, HIV Prevention for MetroHealth in Cleveland, OH
  • Carolina Panthers
  • Pendleton Whiskey / French West Vaughn
  • Non Profits: Hue House / Digital Navigators, Pat’s Place, Isabella Santos Foundation
  • High Point Furniture Market Major NC Event
  • Immersive Van Gogh Exhibit
  • Local Businesses: Planet Fitness, Skydive Carolina, Plumped CLT, Carolina Pharmacy
  • And many more

Past examples of Clean Graffiti by The Savage Way

NO MAINTENANCE MOSS ART

Our moss offerings have evolved from reindeer moss logos to now creating large scale installations, interior design elements, sound-absorbing panels, incorporating neon signs, etc. We work hand-in-hand with Architects, General Contractors, Millworkers and Business Owners to bring the vision to life. Moving to our new studio has increased our capacity 10 fold and we are excited to be taking on more and more projects at large scale.

4 different Moss Art pieces from 2021

2021 CLIENTS

  • Architecture Firms: BB+M Architecture, Perkins Eastman
  • Designers: Southpark Interiors, Free Space Design, Design Bar, Cline Design, Urban Design Partners, Liquid Design
  • Contractors/Sign Companies: Onsite Millworking, Southwood, Warco Construction
  • Multifamily: Northwood Ravin, Wood Partners, Alta Wren, Alta Davis, Greystar Apartments
  • Other Businesses: Bank of America Corporate HQs, Carolina Sports Clinic, Clariant Corporation, UNC Charlote
  • Private Collectors
  • Pop Art Collaborations with Jen Hill, Cheeks
  • And many more

Colorful plant art examples by The Savage Way

OH YEAH, WE LAUNCHED AN ONLINE SHOP!

Lastly, we launched our online residential Moss Shop in December 2021. We have been asked for years by customers, fans and friends to offer a residential line of Moss Art and we finally did! You can now buy 8 different and unique Moss Art products for your home – from a Mood bowl or colorful Hamsa to merchandise. Check out everything at shop.thesavageway.com. We will be dropping new collections and artwork periodically, so be sure to sign up for our email blast to stay in the know.

Moss Art online shop items displayed as an example

As The Savage Way continues to grow in both our Moss Art and Clean Graffiti offerings, we just want to take a moment of gratitude. We are so excited about this company we have created, the amazing women we have on the team and the fact that we get to play in Mother Nature all day. Seriously, it is a dream we’ve cultivated over the years and we are so proud. So here’s to good dirt, lots of moss and tons of laughter in the year ahead. Hit us up with any questions.

Clean Graffiti for The Rolling Stones

Clean Graffiti for The Rolling Stones

Who is one of the biggest rock bands of all time? The Rolling Stones definitely make the top of the list, and we just had the opportunity to do Clean Graffiti for them in Charlotte, NC. (Yeah.. the freaking Rolling Stones!)

We were contacted by the team at the Carolina Panthers to pull off a quick reverse graffiti campaign to help promote the announcement of a huge concert at Bank of America stadium. The goal, along with their other marketing tactics, was to tease the fact that the Rolling Stones were going back on tour. In several places around the city, including Clean Graffiti on the sidewalk, the famous Stones “mouth” appeared with phrases that hinted at a concert announcement. These “tease and reveals” also happened across the country where Mick Jagger and the Stones will soon play to sold out arenas.

This Clean Graffiti message was simple, on brand, and the PERFECT teaser to get the masses curious about what the Rolling Stones might be up to. We put our pressure washed images across popular walking areas including Uptown, South End, NoDa and Plaza Midwood. It has been fun to see passersby post the images to their Instagram stories and get excited for the concert.

Image of the Rolling Stones famous mouth that is pressure washed into the dirty concrete of the sidewalk.

The Rolling Stones use Clean Graffiti to promote their 2020 Concert Tour in Charlotte, NC.

Stylish women's shoes pose with the Rolling Stones Clean Graffiti.

The Rolling-Freaking-Stones use reverse graffiti!!

Walkers in Charlotte see a Clean Graffiti spot and post it to their Instagram Story. (via @summerjadyn)

Via Charlotte Agenda Instagram: The jumbo screen at the Bank of America Stadium showcases the Rolling Stones teaser campaign.

The Rolling Stones famous mouth with the words "Emotional Rescue" as a teaser on a digital billboard in Uptown Charlotte

Via Charlotte Agenda’s Instagram: The Rolling Stones use the digital billboard at the EpiCentre to tease a 2020 Concert Tour date.

This 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.

The concert is scheduled for July 1, 2020 at Bank of America Stadium. Tickets will go on sale at 10am on Friday, Feb. 14. More information can be found at rollingstones.com.

At #thesavageway, we are proud to work with ALL of our clients. They see the value in doing something different and are not afraid to push the line when it comes to their marketing. However, this campaign in particular is pretty high up on the list of favorite campaigns. The Rolling Stones, one of the biggest rock bands to ever grace this earth, used Clean Graffiti to promote their concert. (mind blown!). It is a great reminder to us that anything is possible and to keep reaching for the moon when it comes to our business.

A man wearing Nikes poses with a Rolling Stones Clean Graffiti spot in Charlotte, NC

Serious job love right here. #thesavageway

Clean Graffiti in Chicago, IL for Wunderbar Together

Clean Graffiti in Chicago, IL for Wunderbar Together

APCO Worldwide hired #thesavageway to apply some Clean Graffiti for the Germany Week Festival at Daley Plaza

We had the pleasure of traveling to Chicago, IL to complete a Clean Graffiti job for Wunderbar Together and APCO Worldwide. Wunderbar Together is an year-long celebration of the German-American friendship.

A little more about the Wunderbar Together initiative from the campaign website, “Working with over 200 partners, we are showcasing our close bonds in over 1,000 events in all 50 states. We are painting a picture of everything German-American relations stand for, including science, the arts, culture, language, business, and sports. We want to create an exchange of ideas with all Americans, not only in New York, Washington D.C. and Los Angeles, but also in the heart of the country.”

The Germany Week festival in Daley Plaza featured concerts, food stations, sports and film screenings, as well as interactive activities in arts, language, engineering, science, and more! All events were free and open to the public.

We created a highly targeted campaign around the week-long festival location, Daley Plaza, in Downtown Chicago. By placing these eco-friendly, water-based sidewalk messages around the actual event space, we helped to bring awareness to the festival. It was fun to scour the city for dirty sidewalks and select spots that made sense for the client.

Check out some of the photos from this reverse graffiti campaign in Downtown Chicago below.

Clean Message on a dirty sidewalk for Wunderbar Together.

Clean Graffiti by #thesavageway in Chicago, IL for Germany Week.

Two people walking past a Clean Graffiti spot in Chicago, IL.

These spots were placed near the event location in high foot-traffic areas.

Woman with long brown hair and a black puffy coat stops to take a photo of the reverse graffiti on the sidewalk.

Taking photos of the Wunderbar Together Clean Graffiti for social media.

Street view of reverse graffiti on the streets of Chicago near Daley Plaza.

Chicago, IL is now one of the 59 cities that #thesavageway has completed a Clean Graffiti job.

It is such an amazing feeling to bring our medium to a new city. We want to see our Clean Graffiti across the nation. These eco-friendly messages are such a great way to bring awareness to a brand or an event. They provide a temporary solution for outdoor signage in a big city. And the best part is that they are made with water. That’r right. It’s. Just. Water.

Thanks for being awesome, Chicago! We hope to see you again soon.

Clean Graffiti for The ACC

Clean Graffiti for The ACC

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…

4 mascots of The ACC created out of reverse graffiti.

Clean Graffiti spot for The ACC featuring the mascots from UNC Chapel Hill, University of Pittsburgh, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest University.

Reverse Graffiti on the sidewalk featuring detailed mascots from The ACC

The second Clean Graffiti spot for The ACC featuring the mascots from Duke University, Florida State University, Georgia Tech and Notre Dame.

Clean Graffiti for The ACC on the streets of Charlotte, NC

Spot 3 of 4 of The ACC Clean Graffiti featuring the mascots from Boston College, Clemson University, University of Louisville, and University of Virginia.

Clean Graffiti by #thesavageway for The ACC.

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.