Why is this work relevant for Brand Experience & Activation ?

Adopting a new approach on sustainability, we delivered an activation which highlights HP’s sustainability programs through a purpose-driven experiential element, called The Beast. Touchpoints included Experiential with a physical monster, an online 3D monster with sustainability facts, digital, social, outdoor and building projections. ‘The Beast' was a bold brand move, designed to engage the public as a broad reach mechanism and prompt them to reconsider their retail behaviours. It resonated with young and old and was thought-provoking which was demonstrated by the amount of questions and enquiries received about both the activation and the brand online and offline.

Background

A study was commissioned by HP and co-published with Planet Ark, that found almost all Australians are concerned about the environment and sustainability, but only half believed that they were doing enough. The same study found that Australian ranked plastics in oceans as their highest environmental concern. Despite these concerns each one of us produces/use 130kg of plastics each year. Less than 12% of this is recycled. Many Australians associate printing with paper, but less thought about recycling their used printer cartridges correctly or knew of our strong heritage in sustainability. There is an opportunity to educate both customers and non-customers about a highly topical message and connect that authentically to the brand and product. Further insights allowed us to craft the narrative around Australia being home to some of the deadliest predators in the world, but nothing poses a greater threat to our environment and marine life than plastic.

Describe the creative idea (20% of vote)

With Australia being home to the world’s deadliest predators, the creative idea was to personify the scale of waste created and the importance to choose brands and partners that are making an impact. ‘The Beast' was designed to engage the public by calling out the plastic problem for what it is – an environmental monster. A 4-meter high, 200kg beast made up of 2,400 plastic bottles, took four weeks to build and it's large yellow eyes were deliberately at eye-level to help connect it with those who came across it. It was supported online and in outdoor advertising in ‘teaser’ phases prior to launch. The Beast represents the millions of plastic bottles this brand diverts from our oceans and landfill every year by using them to manufacture recyclable ink and toner cartridges.

Describe the strategy (20% of vote)

Almost all Australian are concerned about the environment and sustainability, but only half believe they are doing enough. Australians rank plastics in oceans as a top concern. To highlight this HP need to launch a campaign that brings together the idea of an ocean monster built from plastic, with references to marine life. The campaign had to highlight HPs sustainability programs and the importance of choosing brands and partners that are making an impact.

Describe the execution (30% of vote)

Adopting a new approach on sustainability, we delivered a through-the-line campaign which highlights our sustainability programs through a purpose-driven communication mix with an experiential element, called The Beast. Touchpoints included Experiential with a physical monster, an online 3D monster with sustainability facts, digital, social, outdoor and building projections. The Beast was made from 2,400 recycled plastic bottles, weighed 200kg and stood a towering 4 meters high. The Beast represents the millions of kilograms of plastic bottles our brand diverts from our oceans and landfill every year by breaking them down and using them in the manufacture of ink and toner cartridges. At the end of its life it was recycled with zero waste to landfill. The Beast made appearances at both Sydney's Circular Quay and the Australian Maritime Museum where it had a monster impact on over 60,000 people who visited the installation.

List the results (30% of vote)

A total of 88,000 people saw The Beast, including taking selfies and posted online. At Sydney's Circular Quay, there was a 19% conversion to The Beast within a 5 metre radius. The average dwell time was 5mins and 42seconds which was attributed to investing in brand ambassadors who helped start conversations to passersby on our sustainability credentials. The accompanying breakdownthebeast.com website saw the highest site visits across the 4-day activation with an average 1,000 visitors per day. The interactive element allowed users to engage with the page for an average dwell time of 4minutes and 39seconds. The Beast caught the attention of the Australian National Maritime Museum who expressed interest in hosting The Beast on their premises. The Beast then made a second appearance at the Australian National Maritime Museum for two weeks. We saw the dwell time higher in this location sitting at 7minutes and 25seconds.