Not often, but sometimes, advertising and art come together to create something genuinely special.
Such it was when a washing detergent manufacturer in Singapore decided to approach world champion sand sculptor Joo Heng Tan.
They asked him to create something around the concept that, in his own words, ‘dirt is good’.
Dirt is good! One of Joo Heng Tan's adverts
“The message they wanted to give is that It’s only when kids are free to get dirty that they truly experience life, learn and develop.
“It's these experiences today that mould a more colorful richer future for them.”
His response to the brief was to use his unique skills with sand to create these beautifully stylized environments for children to play in.
“We could do with encouraging kids to be kids a little more, encouraging them to discover, to reflect, to dream and of course encouraging them to use their imagination,” Tan explains.
“I really like this philosophy.”
The three 18-ton sculptures are impressive, but it’s his older, less commercial work that’s really impressive.
Check out his classically-inspired creations in the gallery below.