This campaign by Dentsu and Global Action Plan is crap

Dentsu UK&I has unveiled its latest innovation to support its long-term commitment to sustainability – an anti-toxin mural that sucks pollutants from the air of one of London’s busiest streets. Rising nearly eight metres above passers-by on Euston Road, the mural aims to raise awareness of one of London’s biggest problems – air pollution.

Developed in partnership with Global Action Plan, an environmental charity, to mark Clean Air Day 2024, this ‘Sucks’ campaign highlights the unacceptable levels of air pollution in London and informs people about the actions they can take to bring about change. By scanning the QR code painted on the wall, the public can interact with interactive elements and ‘capture’ the air pollution in the art, which was developed in partnership with web AR platform Zappar.

The mural uses Resysten’s CleanAir technology, a special paint coating that can reduce nitrogen oxide levels in the atmosphere by up to 73% when applied to concrete and brick. The paint breaks down pollutants into harmless salts that occur naturally on earth and are then blown away with the weather. The longer the paint is on the mural, the more pollutants it absorbs from the air, becoming more effective over time.

This Campaign Sucks was created by Dentsu Creative and Global Street Art, who specialise in hand-painted advertising. Dentsu’s aim is to create impact through innovation by finding new, transformative solutions to the biggest problems facing businesses and communities. Its sustainability strategy focuses on improving the health of people and the planet through the use of innovative technologies based on the power of creativity. This project is the latest in a series of initiatives led by Dentsu and guided by the Japanese principle of Sanpo Yoshi, which requires results to have a triple benefit for business, people and society.

The extent of air pollution is clear. Air pollution is responsible for 43,000 deaths a year in the UK. Although the capital’s low emission zones have contributed to a 4.5% reduction in long-term health problems and an 8% reduction in respiratory diseases such as asthma and bronchitis, high levels of air pollution are still being reported.

Clean Air Day is the UK’s biggest air pollution campaign, aiming to improve public understanding of the problem of air pollution and inspire action. This year’s Clean Air Day campaign highlights that cars and vans are the biggest source of toxic chemicals in our air and encourages people to make their voices heard and call on the next government to clean up the air by signing a petition calling for cleaner, greener transport options.

The launch of This Campaign Sucks is the first project in the partnership between dentsu and Global Action Plan, who have joined forces to tackle poor air quality in cities across the UK and Ireland. The charity’s Clean Air Public Insight Tracker found that over half of respondents are concerned about the long-term impact of air pollution on their health. Global Action Plan’s aim is for people in urban areas to be able to breathe clean air by 2030.

Pamela Stathaki, Head of Sustainability EMEA at dentsu, said: “Our 2024 Consumer Vision Report found that 79% of UK consumers prefer to buy from brands that offer solutions that not only minimise negative impacts on the world, but rather restore and create positive environmental impacts. Social responsibility must become a core value in every business and we must get better at promoting and demonstrating how brands can make a difference. We are proud to partner with such a dedicated charity as Global Action Plan, which is driving change globally but also making a real difference to people’s lives in local communities.”

Nicky O’Malley, Director of Corporate Partnerships at Global Action Plan, says: “Air pollution is the biggest environmental threat to our health, affecting us from our first breath to our last. The good news is that there are already solutions to our air pollution problem. This Clean Air Day, we’re encouraging everyone to take action to help people travel in a cleaner, greener way. We’re delighted to be working with dentsu on this project to raise public awareness of the issue in creative and engaging ways, as part of our goal for people in urban areas to breathe clean air by 2030.”

You can view and interact with the mural between 14 and 23 June 2024 via the interactive QR code at 222 Euston Road, NW1 2DA.