THE VETIVER PROJECT

Silver Spike
TitleTHE VETIVER PROJECT
BrandPEERLESS LION
Product / ServiceSHOKUBUTSU HANA PERSONAL CARE
CategoryA06. Use of Ambient Media: Large Scale
EntrantTBWA\SANTIAGO MANGADA PUNO Makati City, THE PHILIPPINES
Entrant Company TBWA\SANTIAGO MANGADA PUNO Makati City, THE PHILIPPINES
Advertising Agency TBWA\SANTIAGO MANGADA PUNO Makati City, THE PHILIPPINES

Credits

Name Company Position
Melvin M. Mangada TBWA/SANTIAGO MANGADA PUNO Chief Creative Officer
Ali Silao TBWA/SANTIAGO MANGADA PUNO CREATIVE DIRECTOR/ART DIRECTOR
Chino Jayme TBWA/SANTIAGO MANGADA PUNO Associate Creative Director/Copywriter
Nolan Fabular TBWA/SANTIAGO MANGADA PUNO Associate Creative Director/Art Director
Cj De Silva TBWA/SANTIAGO MANGADA PUNO Art Director
Kathy Cosico TBWA/SANTIAGO MANGADA PUNO Account Director
Rj Paculan TBWA/SANTIAGO MANGADA PUNO Planner
Dennis Carlos TBWA/SANTIAGO MANGADA PUNO Print Prod.
Abi Ramos TBWA/SANTIAGO MANGADA PUNO Jr. Print Producer
Emilie Batard TBWA/SANTIAGO MANGADA PUNO Director
Francis Allan De Dios TBWA/SANTIAGO MANGADA PUNO Editor/Animator
Teresa Composana free lancer Production Designer
John Chua Ad Photo Photographer
Maan Dela Cruz TBWA/SANTIAGO MANGADA PUNO Agency Producer
Francis Bagnes TBWA/SANTIAGO MANGADA PUNO Agency Producer
Sunny Lucero TBWA/SANTIAGO MANGADA PUNO Agency Producer
Angelito Tan TBWA\SANTIAGO MANGADA PUNO Final Artist
Romar Quiroz TBWA\SANTIAGO MANGADA PUNO Final Artist Supervisor

Brief Explanation

The Pasig River, Manila's main waterway, was transformed into a 25-kilometer sewer system. In 1990, ecologists considered it biologically dead. Shokubutsu HANA, a personal care brand that manufactures products made from 100% natural cleansing ingredients, believes in the restorative powers of nature. The brand wanted to join the movement to revive the most polluted river in the country.

Results and Effectiveness

From local primetime news alone, the billboard earned roughly USD 28,000 of free media mileage. Globally, both the creative and environment-related publications featured the effort (AdAge Editor's Pick of the Day, Yahoo News, Sustainable Brands, Campaign Brief Asia and Fast Co.Create to name a few), and from it the brand received roughly 13M impressions. The noise it created internationally earned the brand a seat in last year's annual conference for sustainability. It was featured in a conference amongst 400 advanced executives in corporate sustainability, marketing, brand strategy and product innovation through Sustainability Brands in London.

Creative Execution

HANA mounted the first ever 'Water-Cleaning Billboards'. Powered entirely by nature, they are floating systems placed on the river and made of vetiver--perennial, non-invasive grass that absorbs pollutants in wastewater. As people looked at the river, they immediately saw the billboard. More than just a message, the billboards were actually cleaning the river itself.

Insights, Strategy and the Idea

Universities and informal settlers, that surround majority of the Pasig River estuaries needed to be constantly reminded of the need to keep the river and its environment clean. This effort also tried to capture the attention of mobile commuters, and office workers who either reside or hold office within the vicinity. Instead of installing the ad on a nearby street, it was placed where people could not miss it--right on the river itself. Pasig River became the medium. For the initial leg of this campaign, HANA zeroed in on Estero de San Miguel, as it received the most foot traffic.