This Artfully Disgusting Surfing Ad Calls for Cleaner Beaches in Brazil

Think twice before hitting the waves

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Surf's up? Nah, it's down—down and dirty, hazardously so—in this visually arresting Brazilian PSA from Instituto-E. 

The organization is seeking to raise awareness of Rio de Janeiro's polluted beaches, and urges viewers to sign a petition asking the government to initiate a cleanup ASAP. Created by agency OM.art and production house Paranoid, the monochromatic 80-second spot, titled "Wave," features Brazilian surfing icon Carlos Burle.

Watch as he rides a most unusual "pipe" made of 20-meter-high canvas instead of water:

The material takes on a life of its own, pulsating slowly and with vague menace, as Burle's distorted shadow passes across its surface.

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