The adverts titled “Shan Shui Environmental Art” were developed by JWT Shanghai advertising agency for China Environment Protection Foundation (CEPF) and released in March 2009.

The concept is fairly simple (some might say it is a cliché), but I think it is pretty effective: from away, the three print advertisements – Global Warming, Industrial Pollution and Automotive Pollution – look like traditional Chinese ink paintings with mountains and rivers landscapes (referring to the art style called Shan Shui). But when getting closer, the mountains and rivers are actually made of cars, power-line towers and pollution … therefore showing the impact of human activities and economic development on the environment.

The ad posters were placed in high visibility areas and in subway stations in Shanghai, along with an animated film version played in Shanghai’s metro hub, People Square Station, definitely catching the attention of the 1.5 million passengers that go through Shanghai metro stations everyday.

The three paintings were created by well known Chinese landscape artist Yong Liang Yang (click here to enlarge pictures):

• #1: Automative Pollution

• #2: Global Warming

• #3: Industrial Pollution