Useless Green Marketing Stunt of the Week.

(click image) It's actually left over from my noteworthy Cannes 2010 advertising festival winners collection. It's a street tree canvas created for the China Environmental Protection Foundation by DDB China. Here's how it worked: the canvas was placed in pedestrian crossings in Shanghai. (My guess, knowing how these fancy ad award-grab efforts work? It was placed in exactly one crossing.) On both sides of the crossing were sponge cushions soaked with washable green paint. Pedestrians—knowingly and unknowingly—stepped on the sponges and subsequently turned the barren tree into a leafy environmental statement. This won a gold design lion and soiled many a pair of shoes. (Wonder if any dawdling walkers were killed?) Considering how China has just recently fallen fast in love with automobiles, this feels more like an ironic art project to me.
Previously in: stupid Green Marketing.