Cape Town is in the grips of a severe water shortage. Despite the evident lack of rain, not all City's residents are observing domestic water restrictions, nor have they paid attention to the dire predictions made by City management. Cape-based agency, Berry Bush BBDO, decided to use the attention-grabbing power of advertising to educate and motivate their community, by taking to the streets in an effort to change water consumption habits in Cape Town.
Berry Bush BBDO staff could recently be seen on the streets of Cape Town, offering bottled water to motorists at clogged intersections. The bottle looks regular enough until you read the label. Then the Berry Bush BBDO campaign becomes clear. The labels resemble that of the Evian bottle but the word Evian has been reversed and now reads 'Naïve'. The small print below Naïve reads, 'Deep in a valley of ignorance a fresh wellspring of apathy arises. One thing is crystal clear: The Western Cape doesn't have enough water. You Can Help'.
Other facts and figures on just how rainfall in 2004/5 stacks up against previous years, is also provided, along with tips for wise water usage. Berry Bush BBDO has ordered 1000 bottles and labels and the local level operations were handled by the staff themselves.
Nicholas Bednall, managing director at Berry Bush BBDO, comments, "We've been watching the water shortage issue for some time and felt a mounting sense that not enough was being done to reach people, in ways that standout and make them pay attention. It has now honestly reached crisis point; every Capetonian has to feel responsible for reducing water usage. Berry Bush BBDO is in the advantageous position of being able to optimise our creative expertise to find a solution, and we wanted to invest that time and money to make a difference in our community. It has paid off - people were delighted and everyone who received a bottle read that label. I would hazard a guess that now they're having shorter showers and watering less."
The creative logic is simple, says Bednall: "Evian has placed a premium on bottled water by drawing attention to how precious the source is, and by extension of that same logic, so should we. We've used the Evian bottle to highlight the risk of not seeing water as a precious resource, by simply reversing the word Evian to read 'Naïve'. Now we have a water bottle with a label that reminds the drinker of the ignorance that underscores the failure to reduce water consumption."
Sustainability and the issues surrounding the environment and corporate social responsibility are eliciting genuine interest from numerous corporates. However, there is no paint-by-numbers programme for developing sound environmental initiatives, and for Berry Bush BBDO it's just been a case of responding to a crisis that is having a real impact on its City and being prepared to innovate.
