Natural Growth
courtesy of CURB Media
Want a fresh approach to advertising? Try this: a dirty sidewalk partially scrubbed into the shape of a logo, or a field mowed into a giant-size ad, or even a warehouse wall with moss that’s crafted into a catchy slogan.
Hailing itself as the only natural media company in the world, CURB Media may have sprouted up only about a year ago, but already, the buzz is as lively as the artistic ads the company creates. Founded in London in August 2008, CURB made news when it imprinted a cable channel’s logo all over the city after an uncharacteristically heavy snowfall. The branding campaign itself became a news item, boosting its effectiveness.
Maikel van de Mortel, an ad man and Minnesota transplant by way of Holland, was struck by that innovation and offered to open a U.S. office. Since the company was eager to get into the American market, van de Mortel actually ended up establishing the Minneapolis outpost as the firm’s headquarters, and brought in a fellow European, Bjorgvin Saeverson from Iceland, to whip up campaigns.
“CURB liked that we had a European sensibility, so we could work easily with the U.K. office, but still explore opportunities here,” says van de Mortel. Although CURB considered opening its U.S. office in Los Angeles, it was quickly decided that Minneapolis was ideal for its central location.
“From a logistics perspective, this city is the better choice over L.A. or New York,” van de Mortel notes. “We can attract more artists, and have greater reach throughout the Midwest.”
One challenge has been finding those artists; in traditional advertising, graphic talent abounds, but how many of those can do sand sculptures, crop circles or wood carving? Many of CURB’s offerings are highly specialized, like “solar art,” done with burning images into wood with the use of a magnifying glass.
But the firm’s artistic roster is growing nicely, as is the client base. Being such a young company, and with strikingly unique work, the focus now lies in building awareness among potential clients here, but the U.K. office’s formidable client list—including the BBC, Royal Mail and KIA Motors—shows that awareness can turn to engagements at a brisk pace.
“Because this is so new, many PR and ad agencies, as well as corporations, don’t quite know how to use this work yet, but we’ve found that many are excited and open to using natural media as a promotional tool,” notes van de Mortel. He believes that with companies looking to “go green,” this type of artistic advertising can help them get there, sometimes literally.
“We’re not eco-warriors, this is still advertising,” he says. “But by using natural materials, you can minimize the use of printed ads and billboards and that shows a more responsible environmental stance.” Besides, he adds, it’s just plain fun to have campaigns like snow tagging or dust art, which can turn a dirty car’s window into buzz-inducing advertising artwork.
“This could be the future of advertising,” van de Mortel says. “It’s certainly a whole different level of creativity.”
