Results and Effectiveness

The billboard was all over social media, blogs, sites and even on national news. Notable media that picked up the campaign: Saksi Feature (Philippine Primetime TV) ANC Feature (Philippine News) Net25 Feature (Philippine News) Yahoo.com Upworthy Co.Create, NY Creativity Online (Pick of the Day) TrendHunter.com, Toronto Design Taxi AdWeek, NY Advertolog, Cologne Campaign Brief Asia, Perth Ad Age, NY Outdoor Media Association, Sydney As the billboard helped clean the most polluted river in the country, it caught the attention of the country, as local government units have increased efforts in restoring the river back to the way it once was.

Creative Execution

The first water billboard was created. Powered entirely by nature, it is made of vetiver--perennial, non-invasive grass that absorbs pollutants in wastewater. The billboard is designed to float on water so that it could be place on the river. As people looked at the river, they immediately saw the billboard. Pasig River itself became the medium.

Insights, Strategy and the Idea

Decades ago, Pasig River, Manila's main waterway, served as one of the city's transportation arteries. It was also home of thousands of fish and other marine creatures. But years of neglect and abuse transformed the river into a huge sewer system. During the 90's, it was considered by scientists to be biologically dead. Shokubutsu HANA, a personal care brand that believes in the restorative powers of nature, wanted to join the movement to restore the river by creating awareness. For Filipinos to take notice, the brand wanted to create a message that was more than just another large tarp lined up along hundreds more. It had to send a powerful message while also setting an example for the rest of the country. So instead brand delivering a message, Shokubutsu HANA wanted the river to speak directly to the people.