As Seattle begins to enter phase two of its reopening plan and with many billboards in the city left unoccupied, Mekanism teamed up with Lamar Advertising on a pro-bono OOH campaign to help support small businesses. To galvanise local residents to shop local and support local beloved businesses, Mekanism handpicked five minority-owned businesses to spotlight on billboards throughout Seattle. 

The businesses include:

• Flowers Just 4 You: Said to be the only Black-owned florist in the Pacific Northwest, Mary Wesley has owned this shop for almost 40 years, recently having to move locations and stave off eviction thanks to support from the local community. In her late 70’s, Mary does everything herself, down to delivering the flowers!

• Tai Tung: Seattle’s oldest Chinese restaurant, established in 1935, located in the International District. The city staple was also featured in 'A Taste of Home,' a documentary showcasing Seattle’s oldest and best Chinese food.

• Cafe Campagne: Owner, Daisley Gordon started at Campagne Restaurant in 1995, Seattle’s standard-bearer of regional French cuisine. Gordon went from cook to Sous Chef, Chef and eventually Chef/Owner. In 2008, Gordon was a competitor on Iron Chef America’s fresh berries challenge. 

• Pam’s Kitchen: Caribbean staple located in Wallingford. Pam's was featured on Guy Fieri's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, with Fieri declaring "they're knocking out the real deal food from Trinidad."

• Surf Cleaners: Dry Cleaning, Laundry & Alteration Services over 30 years in Seattle and use only non-Toxic procedures. The art and science of handling & altering everything from everyday garments to sophisticated items. 


The OOH campaign will be featured on  $10,000 worth of free advertising space donated by Lamar Billboards -- and this is just the beginning, as Mekanism hopes to encourage and identify more media companies to donate their services and space with this campaign. You can find the artwork here, which was inspired by the funky, creative local vibe of the city, and crafted to tap into our new normal. The billboards are running from 6/29 until 7/27 and potentially longer.

“Seattle has amazingly resilient small businesses that are the fabric of our communities and neighbourhoods. As we all enter this new phase of business as usual, we aimed to create art that reflects a very unusual time,” said Rachel Carlson, creative director of Mekanism Seattle. “We are proud to collaborate with Lamar to support these local businesses and hope others will donate their services to do the same.” 

“Lamar has an extensive history of supporting the communities in which we operate that dates back to 1902. We’re excited to partner with Mekanism in the execution of their Seattle Small Biz initiative,” said Korbe Palmer, vice president/general manager
 of Lamar Advertising.