Cure Auto Insurance ad covers Broderick Tower’s whale mural
Broderick Tower’s whale mural has been covered once again, and just in time for the upcoming NFL draft with advertising for Cure Auto Insurance.
The “Whale Tower” mural, painted by Detroiter Robert Wyland in 1997, features three humpback whales frolicking in the ocean.
Since 2006, the whales have been covered by temporary advertisements for everything from Lunchables to a collection of signature smiley faces, accompanied by the words “Detroit is Home.” None of which received the same favorable attention as Wyland’s whales.
The mural had remained untouched since a storm destroyed the Rocket Companies ad that featured local artist Phillip Simpson’s signature smiley faces, accompanied by the words “Detroit is Home, in August 2023. The faces had been covering the whale mural since November 2021.
Detroit Tigers reporter Jason Beck was one of the first to report the new advertisement to social media.
It took about three hours for the fresh advertisement to reveal itself as one for Cure Auto Insurance, presented by the Detroit Lions.
In a statement from Wyland through his foundation in 2023, he explained the origin of the mural was to emphasize the world’s rapidly worsening climate change and declining biodiversity.
“Maybe the advertisers will finally consider letting the mural serve the purpose Wyland intended: to remind people that no matter where we live, we are always intrinsically connected to nature,” read the statement.
In 2022, Wyland and the city of Detroit attempted to take the issue to the Michigan Supreme Court, but the high court declined to review a previous ruling that the mural could be covered with advertising.