“This is a tree” is a solution to Manila’s worsening air pollution. Its innovation lies in the function and effectiveness of the mural. Painted using Boysen KNOxOUT, every square meter of artwork within the mural has the air-cleaning power of one mature tree, and is proven to reduce harmful nitrogen oxides in the air by 20%. To ensure its effectivity, the mural was painted on a 100-square meter surface along Manila’s busiest highways with the highest level of vehicle emissions.

Manila is one of the world’s most polluted cities, with air pollution levels above the safety standards set by the Clean Air Act. This is mainly due to the fact that there are no more room in Manila for trees to grow. It also takes more than ten years for a tree to become mature enough to clean the air.

To help solve this, Boysen created KNOxOUT, a special smog-eating paint that cleans the air. One square meter of painted surface cleans as much nitrogen oxide as one mature tree.

When used in scale, KNOxOUT can significantly reduce air pollution. Boysen wanted to demonstrate its air-cleaning quality in a way that would positively impact the environment.

The budget for the campaign included a concept fee of 6,000USD. Media placement and the cost of installation was care of client.

Boysen used KNOxOUT to create an air-purifying mural across a 100-square-meter wall.

The entire mural consisted of one-square-meter artworks of colorful objects, from rubber ducks, animals, food to toys. Because they were painted with KNOxOUT, each square had the air-cleaning power of one tree.

The mural was painted on C5 Highway, Manila’s busiest and most treeless freeway, and was visible to pedestrians and motorists passing by.

December 2017

The designs for every piece of art took two weeks to complete.

January 2018

Painting the mural took one month:

Cleaning and priming the 100-square-meter wall took one week. Five painters created one artwork each for one day, finishing the entire 100-square-meter mural for two weeks.

February 2018 - December 2018

The campaign was launched on February 2018, and was on display for 10 months, until December 2018.

Boysen KNOxOUT with CristalACTiV™ Technology reacts with harmful nitrogen oxides (NOx) coming from emissions of motor vehicles, solvents from factories and power plants, and neutralizes it through a chemical process. The NOx are broken down and converted into harmless substances that can simply be washed away by the next rainfall.

Using the KNOxOUT technology, Boysen created a 100-square-meter air-purifying mural, large enough to create an impact on air pollution levels. In terms of location, Boysen zeroed in on C5 Highway, one of the busiest roads in Manila with the heaviest traffic and vehicle emissions.

The artworks were able to reduce the air pollution by 20%.

To date, 6,000 square meters of the city’s walls have been painted with Boysen KNOxOUT.

More trees are being painted across the city.