The Brief

Teens in the Philippines rate environmental concerns as their No. 1 social issue. To address this, Pepsi has a long-running activation campaign under the banner ‘Sarap Magbago’ (Change Tastes Good). Since it has less to spend on corporate image compared to its main competitor, it needs to be seen by its existing target base, the youth, as a genuine innovator in environmental and social issues. The strategy was to partner with a community-based charity with a uniquely appropriate solution to the pressing problem of houses with no access to light.

Creative Execution

Performance with Purpose is a key objective at PepsiCo. It is defined as being ‘humane, humble and for the bigger community’. The solar bottle bulb embodies the commitment of the company in a number of ways. Firstly, by directly helping communities; secondly, by training volunteers and institutions to take control of the installation; and thirdly, by being a carbon-free, sustainable solution. The project gathered significant coverage in social and traditional media – with videos gaining well over a million views on YouTube for example. And international coverage made it seem more significant to our core local audience.

Describe the creative solution to the brief/objective.

Pepsi, together with relevant local governments and MyShelter Foundation, turned old plastic bottles into instruments of change. Creating low-cost, carbon-free bottle lights that refract sunlight into a 55W light source. To spread the project, Pepsi helped establish a center to train volunteers and educate companies, schools and people on how to install the lights. A model community was established to demonstrate the value and scalability of the project. Community engagement was magnified online and via events such as mass runs that collected used bottles to be recycled for the project.

Results

Over 10,000 volunteers gathered, 20,000 bulbs installed, 46,666 lives brightened. The project was named ‘Best of the Best’ at the 2012 PepsiCo AMEA Global Performance with Purpose Awards in competition with 16 other shortlisted projects across the entire PepsiCo system. It also gained the support of the Philippine government and was specially commended at the 2011 World Climate Conference. It was covered by BBC, NHK and other networks, and presented at TED X in Dubai and Mumbai. The project is now being spread in Kenya, Uganda, Indonesia, Vietnam, Mumbai and Colombia.