The Brief

The goal was to demonstrate the “lightest plastic bottle in Japan.” We decided that the most effective method was not a mass media advertisement but something that will allow targets to experience its lightness firsthand and developed the comprehensive direct marketing campaign “Wearable Bottle.” One is “Granny and her bottles,” where an elderly woman walks around carrying a large amount of plastic bottles, and the other is “THE BOTTLE PUT-ON,” which is a campaign where plastic bottles were stuck to the backs of people. Through these campaigns, Suntory’s eco-friendly corporate image increased 120% while conserving media costs.

Creative Execution

As a campaign to promote an environmentally friendly plastic bottle that conserves resources, we decided that the way to promote this needed to be simple and eco-friendly. Both campaigns were held all day long in March 2015. "Granny and her bottles" took place at busy train stations, in commercial districts, and in parks. The sign behind the plastic bottles read, "promoting the lightest plastic bottles in Japan.""THE BOTTLE PUT-ON" took place all day long at Tokyo's Harajuku intersection, which is crossed by 30,000 pedestrians. We took it further by broadcasting how it all went unnoticed on the electronic billboard. We approached this to be a no-gimmick way for bystanders to feel the bottle's lightness through the senses. Pictures taken by those that were present spread throughout the internet. The campaign mostly went as planned, and gained more reaction than we anticipated.

Describe the creative solution to the brief/objective.

The targets were set as younger individuals in the 10s – 30s, who often buy plastic bottle beverages in everyday life. The campaigns were held in Tokyo’s Harajuku and other train stations where many younger individuals gather. The campaign was designed to be interesting to younger people, and we hoped to create an opportunity for them, who might not have interests in CSR actions, to think about the lightness of the plastic bottle. It was also designed to have visual impact which will promote bystanders to take pictures and share them on SNS.

Results

・ With the total advertising cost of approximately $24,000, including staffing costs, billboard fees, and other expenses, Suntory’s eco-friendly corporate image increased 120%. ・ 1 in every 2 people who learned of this campaign through promotions and SNS had an increased intention of purchasing Suntory products. ・ In “Granny and her bottles,” many people took pictures which were shared online along with the message, “promoting the lightest plastic bottle in Japan.” ・ In “THE BOTTLE PUT-ON,” the people who had the bottles stuck to, along with those that were watching, were surprised by its lightness. 30,000 people had an experience they will not forget.