does Hand-painted advertising have the upper hand?

How often are we exposed to out of home advertising in our day to day lives? 

Very, very often is the answer.

Although it is rare to see if these billboards, bus stop adverts, and tube station campaigns have any impact on a person. Apart from maybe a mid-rush hour glance over at a digital billboard in Leicester Square, as it temporarily blinds you at 7am on a wintery Monday morning… 

On the contrary, hand-painted advertising or ‘HPA’ is a phenomenon by which you can visually witness it is having some sort of effect on a person, because 9 times out of 10 they have stopped to look at it, or more likely, to take a picture of it.

From a marketing perspective this is a very big deal indeed. Not only does the action of someone stopping to take a photo prompt other passers-by to cast their eyes at the advertisement, but it will also often encourage them to take their phone out and do the same. In addition, there is an infinite journey that lies ahead for these photos; they can be shared amongst friends through personal messages, WhatsApp groups with multiple participants and of course spread across numerous social media platforms. Talk about ‘hashtag exposure’. Multiply this by the many thousands of times these actions happen per week and it’s easy to understand why hand-painted advertising is a marketing technique that is very much in high demand. 

MAYBELLINE CAMPAIGN IN MELBOURNE, PAINTED BY AMANDA NEWMAN
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It’s not surprising that these works of art connect with people of the public in such a way either, the often-gigantic paintings are a perfect representation of the creator’s career path up to that point. The infamous 10,000 hours theory is there to be seen right in front of the viewers’ eyes. These talented artists have been selected by a brand and/or agency to create jaw dropping exterior murals based on their many years of experience and craft honing. The high level of skill that goes into making a wall mural painting, in conjunction with the sheer scale of it, is just part of what sparks public interest (and often press coverage) and has people stop to look for extended periods of time. From the moment the scissor lift is installed, and the safety barriers are secured at street level below (before paint has even touched the wall), a sense of excitement and intrigue is created. The painting of the mural that follows becomes a form of street theatre for locals and passers-by to enjoy.

Commissioned murals have been around for many years, dating all the way back to the 1900s and some of these signs can still be seen today. They are known as ‘ghost signs’ and although the mural painting designs were much more basic back then (mostly block lettered brand advertising), it’s exciting to see exterior murals are still being commissioned today with no sign of slowing down.

The tools of the trade used to create street art haven't changed that drastically over the many years it has been around, and block lettering still plays a key part in many large-scale wall mural paintings on the streets today. It’s the styles, disciplines and creative output of the street artists which has advanced in a major way. Brands today have a huge range of options available to them when it comes to street art advertising, all which stem from the meeting of two things: paint and a creative mind. Realism, augmented reality, 3D art, QR codes, these are just some of the styles and digital features that can be used to create an all-round user experience, rather than just an advert.

new balance mural in islington featuring local rapper Little simz to promote the 878 trainer release–
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Now, it’s all well and good producing amazing pieces of advertising in the form of wall mural paintings, but how do they contribute to the sustainability goals that so many companies are striving towards? Thankfully there is a way in which mural painting can be an environmentally conscious art form: environmentally conscious paint! For a recent project we used a company called graphenstone which offers sustainable paint solutions. The type of paint used absorbs CO2 as it cures, rather than giving off VOCs (volatile organic compounds) like regular paint does. The carbon emission absorbing process is also most effective within the first 30 days of application, which is a perfect match for temporary, hand-painted advertising that exists amongst the high vehicle traffic areas of major cities.

Adidas mural by our partners in germany, concrete candy

So, let’s bring out the checklist here: something a bit different (tick), highly creative (tick), human powered in a digital age (tick), viral potential (tick…tok), sustainable options (tick)... the list goes on, as does the demand for hand-painted murals to be a part of brand marketing campaigns.

Long may wall mural paintings continue to stop people in their busy tracks and take a moment to admire truly breath-taking craftsmanship.

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Blank walls are specialists in hand-painted advertising, becoming a trusted creative partner for the world’s biggest brands including; nba, warner bros, new balance, marvel, paramaount+, flight centre, chilly’s and more–

with a roster of wall sites in high traffic locations across the UK and Australia, plus a network of artists and teams across the world to bring engaging outdoor advertising campaigns to life.

interested in working with us on your next mural advertising campaign? Let’s chat.