- The City of Vancouver wanted an original, attention-grabbing approach for a three-year anti-litter campaign aimed at making people aware that the things they leave behind become litter. The campaign would identify a wide range of litter and proper means of disposal, and model and increase civic responsibility, particularly in problem areas of the city.
FROM DETRIMENTAL, INGRAINED BEHAVIOUR TO ENTHUSIASM FOR POSITIVE ACTION…
Content strategy
Maketing
Design
Illustration
Animation
FROM DETRIMENTAL, INGRAINED BEHAVIOUR TO ENTHUSIASM FOR POSITIVE ACTION…
Content strategy
Marketing
Design
Illustration
Animation
- The City of Vancouver wanted an original, attention-grabbing approach for a three-year anti-litter campaign aimed at making people aware that the things they leave behind become litter. The campaign would identify a wide range of litter and proper means of disposal, and model and increase civic responsibility, particularly in problem areas of the city.
The problem
Litter was becoming a major problem for the City of Vancouver, and traditional messaging just wasn’t getting through. There was also a lack of understanding that litter is more than just what people think it is.
To cut through the noise and make instructional information fun and not boring, Beacon proposed a variety of creative engagement activities for the City to choose from.
Our solution
- Created a series of animated shorts around Vancouver’s most littered items: cigarette butts and chewing gum
- Sent out street teams wearing campaign branded t-shirts, to hand out branded portable ashtrays for smokers
- Facilitated the creation of custom mascots for use in street outreach
- Created branded cigarette butt recycling receptacles for use in the entertainment district
- Strategized a range of novel and engaging guerrilla marketing ideas, including illustrated cut-outs for public photo opportunities, mobile advertising, interactive sidewalk prints to lead the public to waste receptacles, a litter dunk tank, waste disposal games, and projection mapping for use on large buildings
Print ads were featured widely, from buses to transit shelters, community centres, and libraries, and digitally in bars and restaurants, and on City-managed social media channels.
The problem
Litter was becoming a major problem for the City of Vancouver, and traditional messaging just wasn’t getting through. There was also a lack of understanding that litter is more than just what people think it is.
To cut through the noise and make instructional information fun and not boring, Beacon proposed a variety of creative engagement activities for the City to choose from.
Our solution
- Created a series of animated shorts around Vancouver’s most littered items: cigarette butts and chewing gum
- Sent out street teams wearing campaign branded t-shirts, to hand out branded portable ashtrays for smokers
- Facilitated the creation of custom mascots for use in street outreach
- Created branded cigarette butt recycling receptacles for use in the entertainment district
- Strategized a range of novel and engaging guerrilla marketing ideas, including illustrated cut-outs for public photo opportunities, mobile advertising, interactive sidewalk prints to lead the public to waste receptacles, a litter dunk tank, waste disposal games, and projection mapping for use on large buildings
Print ads were featured widely, from buses to transit shelters, community centres, and libraries, and digitally in bars and restaurants, and on City-managed social media channels.
Animated shorts
Beacon conceptualized, scripted, illustrated, and animated three 30-second shorts for the Anti-litter campaign in 2017. The animations were posted to socials, YouTube, Vancouver.ca, and presented at Vancouver bars and restaurants via Newad Restobar digital screens, putting the campaign front and centre at places where litter/waste is often generated.
Campaign branded street teams
Beacon coordinated the roaming street teams, including planning routes, managing staff members, designing and coordinating production of portable ashtrays and t-shirts, etc. Over three years, we sent out teams on 67 different occasions where they handed out over 6,000 pocket ashtrays. The street team schedule often overlapped with events happening in the city, like Car Free Day and the Festival of Lights.
Custom litter mascots
When we conceptualised the anti-litter mascot, we envisioned our street team dressed as giant pieces of litter, roaming the streets and “photo-bombing” selfies, interacting with the public, handing out cigarette butt receptacles, ect. Due to budget restraints, we settled on two giant pieces of litter, the cigarette butt and the old mattress. The mascots sparked quite an interest among the public, with many people requesting photos.
Animated shorts
Beacon conceptualized, scripted, illustrated, and animated three 30-second shorts for the Anti-litter campaign in 2017. The animations were posted to socials, YouTube, Vancouver.ca, and presented at Vancouver bars and restaurants via Newad Restobar digital screens, putting the campaign front and centre at places where litter/waste is often generated.
Campaign branded street teams
Beacon coordinated the roaming street teams, including planning routes, managing staff members, designing and coordinating production of portable ashtrays and t-shirts, etc. Over three years, we sent out teams on 67 different occasions where they handed out over 6,000 pocket ashtrays. The street team schedule often overlapped with events happening in the city, like Car Free Day and the Festival of Lights.
Custom litter mascots
When we conceptualised the anti-litter mascot, we envisioned our street team dressed as giant pieces of litter, roaming the streets and “photo-bombing” selfies, interacting with the public, handing out cigarette butt receptacles, ect. Due to budget restraints, we settled on two giant pieces of litter, the cigarette butt and the old mattress. The mascots sparked quite an interest among the public, with many people requesting photos.
The payoff
The City saw a 200% increase in the number of clean-ups, with a significant increase in the amount of garbage collected over a two year period.
Positive media coverage acknowledged the campaign as proof of the City’s commitment to try something new regarding cigarette butt litter.
The campaign exceeded initial benchmarks for outreach and achieved high audience engagement, including:
198,368
REACH ON FACEBOOK
84,000
REACH ON INSTAGRAM
215,798
SOCIAL MEDIA ENGAGEMENT
The payoff
The City saw a 200% increase in the number of clean-ups, with a significant increase in the amount of garbage collected over a two year period.
Positive media coverage acknowledged the campaign as proof of the City’s commitment to try something new regarding cigarette butt litter.
The campaign exceeded initial benchmarks for outreach and achieved high audience engagement, including:
198,368
REACH ON FACEBOOK
84,000
REACH ON INSTAGRAM
215,798
SOCIAL MEDIA ENGAGEMENT
News outlets such as The Globe and Mail, CBC, and Vancouver is Awesome featured articles about the zero waste campaign and Vancouver’s efforts to reduce cigarette butt litter.
News outlets such as The Globe and Mail, CBC, and Vancouver is Awesome featured articles about the zero waste campaign and Vancouver’s efforts to reduce cigarette butt litter.
News segment featured on CTV News Vancouver, full clip here.
News segment featured on CTV News Vancouver, full clip here.
Want in?
To get your own original campaign that reaches your target audience and actually changes behaviour, contact Beacon today.
Want in?
To get your own original campaign that reaches your target audience and actually changes behaviour, contact Beacon today.
Credits
Art Direction & Project Management
Dani Vachon
Design
Dani Vachon (lead)
Illustration
Carlie Russelle
Copy Editing
Matt Turner
Credits
Art Direction & Project Management
Dani Vachon
Design
Dani Vachon (lead)
Illustration
Carlie Russelle
Copy Editing
Matt Turner
Credits
Art Direction & Project Management
Dani Vachon
Design
Dani Vachon (lead)
Illustration
Carlie Russelle
Copy Editing
Matt Turner