2010 Winners & Shortlists

The Brief

Emirates Environmental Group, an NGO dedicated to recycling in the UAE, was organising a Can Collection Drive. They wanted general public to participate by bringing cans for recycling at their centre. But in a city where aluminum cans are thrown away soon after use with no thought, getting people to come to the centre for recycling was no easy task. This led us to our strategy. We reminded people of recycling their cans when they are just about to trash them. Since it was a communication from an NGO, it had to be a solution that did not cost much.

Creative Execution

The creative execution was most relevant for the event, the Can Collection Drive as the sticky posters literally became a medium for collecting cans. Asking people to take the initiative to collect cans and come to the centre was not going to be as effective. The strength of our creative was that it worked in two ways. It spread the message of recycling cans at the right place and at the right time. And by placing the posters right next to the trash cans, we also made it easy and simple for people to contribute their cans.

Describe the creative solution to the brief/objective.

Instead of asking people to collect cans and come to the centre, we reached them right where they were seen using cans and offered them a recycling solution at that point itself. We created unusual posters on which people could actually stick their cans after use and give them for recycling, also making it a medium to collect cans for the Drive. These sticky posters were strategically placed right next to the trash cans at places where people usually buy canned drinks – at popular food courts and restaurants in Dubai. It was a direct, engaging and cost-effective approach.

Results

EEG's Can Collection Drive became a super success. The sticky posters created a message that also got stuck in people's minds and eventually changed their behaviour on recycling. The posters, which were put up for only 6 days, collected a total of 1458 cans. Some people actually collected more cans and landed up at the EEG Centre as well, increasing the number of people who joined the Can Collection Drive by 12%.