{"id":1172,"date":"2019-12-10T13:14:49","date_gmt":"2019-12-10T13:14:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.goodtimes.com.pk\/blogs\/?p=1172"},"modified":"2019-12-13T08:20:49","modified_gmt":"2019-12-13T08:20:49","slug":"the-power-of-canvas-wall-art-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.goodtimes.com.pk\/blogs\/the-power-of-canvas-wall-art-2\/","title":{"rendered":"The Power of Canvas Wall Art"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Sadia Hussain<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

In a tech savvy world where interactive screens and dynamic content are dramatically changing the city\u2019s landscape, it appears counterintuitive that a brand would turn to hand-painted murals to communicate a message. One may argue that this form of art gives the widest possible audience but so do the billboards!<\/p>\n

My inquisitiveness only grew ever since I saw the ad for \u201cSarsabz Canvas Wall\u201d on Instagram<\/a>. The question being, why would a brand which could easily afford to splash out millions in tech-based marketing, choose something as a medium that is so exposed to the external highs and lows of the weather while having a fairly uncertain shelf life?<\/p>\n

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So, in an attempt to satiate my curiosity, I found myself standing outside the vicinity of Pak Arab Plant of Fatima Group<\/a> in Multan on November 30 where a two-day wall paint activity had just kicked off. The \u201cCanvas Wall\u201d situated outside the plant\u2019s gate and facing the main Multan-Khanewal road was in that moment a creative outlet for young enthusiastic painters who used street art where words failed i.e. to pay a tribute to the farmers of Pakistan.<\/p>\n

At the wall, I ran in to Mobeen, the brand manager for Sarsabz who expounded on the theme, Salam Kissan \u2013 Sarsabz Pakistan in the following words:<\/p>\n

\u201cGrowing up, we had heard the clich\u00e9 Agriculture is Pakistan\u2019s backbone. But let\u2019s admit it, no one considers farmers or agriculture a priority. You hear stories of farmer\u2019s losses, protests and sadly, suicides as well but when you look at our agriculture policy its missing something as important as cotton! I mean, look behind you, you\u2019re standing outside a plant that\u2019s been lying shut down for the past three years despite the fact that it produces fertilizers that gives average 10% more yield to our farmers than the conventional fertilizers which the government is forced to import in order to meet the shortfall!<\/p>\n

It\u2019s pretty ironical that the farmer is really at the bottom of not just the food chain but sadly also the economic and financial pyramid. So we, as a brand, believe we can change that \u2013 yup, that\u2019s our cause! And look, these students have come from all over Pakistan to join us in this initiative. Trust me, it is a start of something beautiful!\u201d<\/p>\n

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And in that moment, I understood that why a wall paint activity which was bringing together youth from all over Pakistan to give a moving tribute to farmers was far more impactful than any pretty ad on a fleeting billboard!<\/p>\n

The competition, which featured over 40 teams and almost 125 students from cities as far as Karachi and Islamabad, started at 11am on the first day and ended at 5pm on the second day during which amazing pieces of art were created. The organizers provided all sort of facilities to participants from paints, brushes as well as accommodation for the night. Participants were quite happy with the event overall and remained really engaged throughout the two days.<\/p>\n

Online engagement of the event was also spectacular with RJ Sophie<\/a> popping up at the scene, taking interview of participants and giving shout outs in support of farmers which created a lot of buzz on the social media. A time-lapse video<\/a> of the main key visuals being painted by an artist for Sarsabz fertilizers was recorded and shared on the social media by leading influencers, making others curious enough to visit the event. Dozens of TV channels also showed up to broadcast this unique effort by the company and express support for the cause!<\/p>\n

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Taking advantage of the number of participants present at the event, the plant management provided 300 saplings to be planted along the border of the vicinity, in line with the company\u2019s vision of caring for the environment. The atmosphere of working together was further bolstered with participation of representatives from the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment Protection Department in this tree plantation activity.<\/p>\n

The evening drew to a close with dinner which was followed up with a humorous stand-up comedy show by a young group called Pakistan Tehreek-e-Comedy. I realized how long it had been since I last teamed up with so many people to laugh my heart out! \u00a0Just when I thought I had experienced it all, the event touched its highest note with a huge drum circle organized by Haider Jamil around a bonfire. The participants actively joined in creating the most rhythmic sounds and beats; learning the amplified impact of working together as a team for a cause!<\/p>\n

On the second day, the canvases were finally completed and after careful consideration, three of the groups were shortlisted as winning participants by the judging committee. The criteria was based on:<\/p>\n