As you may have heard Ashley is a New Yorker at heart, that being said we are constantly being inspired by all things Big Apple from Ghost Busters to Guggenheim. oh and sidebar, if I don’t get on board for living in Manhattan I will never have a truly happy wife ;) .

Recently we were so moved by the hauntingly beautiful documentary Up There, by Malcolm Murray, that we just had to share it! This short brings the once common form of advertising, billboard painting to life.  Up There evoked a nostalgia for a time before the vinyl billboard and even though we have never contemplated painted billboards before this, it’s something we are truly in awe of.

Thanks to efforts like Up There, which was commisioned by the makers of the Belgium Pilsner Stella Artois, hand painted billboards have been the subject of much media buzz. Until recently the craft had been considered a dying art, however Colossal Media Group who was featured in Up There, seems to be busier than ever. Co-founder Paul Lindahl says “We’re doing four to five walls a week in New York City,” and last month they were in 10 cities.

Hopefully Colossal Media will continue to dominate and create these monstrous works of art, even if most advertising campaigns won’t spring for the premium quality and style of painted billboards. Those who do will reap the acclaim the craft purveys.