Mercedes-Benz's living billboard at the V&A Waterfront

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The "Green Emissions" billboard is currently at the V&A Waterfront, where it occupies a lengthy section of wall. It makes the point that, thanks to BlueEfficiency, Mercedes-Benz emissions are as green-friendly as you can get.

It was conceptualised by Net#work BBDO's Chumani Mtshontshi, under the guidance of creative directors Bruce Anderson and Robert Rutherford. Mtshontshi is currently completing an internship with the agency.

A range of energy-saving innovations

This is the second instalment in Net#work BBDO's outdoor campaign for Mercedes-Benz, which aims to communicate the brand's leading-edge, planet-friendly technology effectively. The vehicle maker's BlueEfficiency line features a range of energy-saving innovations to lower fuel consumption and reduce carbon dioxide exhaust emissions.

The first eco-billboard, erected at OR Tambo International Airport, was treated with an impurity-capturing substrate that was gradually altered by pollution from passing traffic to reveal the payoff line: "If more cars had BlueEfficiency, you wouldn't be able to read this."

The vertical garden or "living wall" concept involves installing a light steel grid up against a vertical surface, into which recycled plastic bottles are inserted and filled with soil, plants and flowers.

A top-50 invention

In 1988, French botanist Patrick Blanc installed the first vertical garden at the Museum of Science and Industry in Paris. Twenty-one years later, this type of garden was voted one of the top-50 inventions of all time by Time magazine.

The system has many benefits: it fosters recycling, beautifies urban environments, absorbs more of the carbon dioxide that chokes cities, absorbs sound, is water efficient, sustains biodiversity, discourages graffiti and is perfect for use in arid conditions.