India’s sandal brand Chupps Footwear has unveiled what it says is the country’s first biodegradable billboard, in Bandra, Mumbai. 

Unlike traditional billboards that linger long after the message fades, the Chupps posting is designed to disintegrate naturally when it rains, mirroring the brand’s latest innovation: footwear that biodegrades in just 24 months once discarded in a landfill. 

The effort was conceived by ad agency Into Creative, which says the 20 x 10 foot billboard is made entirely of biodegradable materials including a massive bamboo structure that supports it. That frame replaces typical iron and tin structures and uses a mixture of mud, clay, cow dung, hay, and sawdust to build the giant sandal and backdrop on the board.  

The headline is written with fresh limestone instead of regular white paint. Rain will disintegrate the billboard materials leaving behind only the bamboo support frame.  

Santosh Padhi, founder & chief creative officer, Into Creative, said the main idea was to create “something so simple yet so striking that it communicated the brand message at first glance.”   

The ad was timed to India’s Festival of Lights (Diwali) as a subtle reminder to consumers “to be kind to the planet,” added Padhi.   

Yashesh Mukhi, founder of Chupps, said, “The future of fashion won’t be defined by how long it lasts, but by how gently it leaves. Our products are engineered with love, for both our customers and the planet. With this campaign, we want to start a conversation about endings — of products, of campaigns, and of waste.”