Case study
Captain Green
Superhero boosts recycling drive
Client
Cambridgeshire County Council’s Waste Management Team is responsible for recycling and reduction of waste materials across the county.
Objective
When the government invited UK county councils to apply for grants to establish whether cash rewards would encourage the public to recycle household waste, Cambridgeshire County Council called on Media Managers to develop a campaign.
Strategy and implementation
Having reviewed the market, we created a concept for a superhero, Captain Green, who could be used as a cartoon character for print, a real-life character in costume and a convincing radio personality.
The concept enabled Cambridgeshire County Council to secure government funding.
To roll out the campaign leaflets were distributed direct to householders, supported by radio, TV, outdoor and local press advertising. Captain Green visited different areas of the county with the refuse collectors each week, delivering the leaflets to households promoting the opportunity to recycle and win £75 in supermarket vouchers.
Local radio advertising was supported by on-air editorial informing the public where Captain Green would be and soundbites of the winners were broadcast. The concept was adapted by Anglia Television to make a 40-second TV commercial. Captain Green also appeared in cartoon format on the press advertisements and a mix of outdoor media featured his recycling message and call to action.
Results
The European Union congratulated Cambridgeshire County Council for its innovative approach. The campaign helped increase levels of recycling and the results of the trial were fed back into the Cambridgeshire County Council’s recycling strategy.
