In a pre-Loeries 2015 press release, CEO Andrew Human explained that the Unilever Ubuntu was the marketing category that saw the biggest growth at this year's Loeries®, growing by 180%. He accredits this growth as an indicator that purpose-driven marketing is being recognised as vital for the continued success of brands.
This is exactly the mindset behind the Recycle to learn campaign, entered by Havas Worldwide Tunisia for client UBCI Groupe BNP Paribas, which went on to win gold in the category.
Watch the case study embedded below for an idea of what the campaign was about:
Intrigued, I spoke to the Havas creative team to find out more...
As with most effective ideas, the 'Recycle to Learn' campaign was born from a simple observation of Tunisian bad habits. And aside from the environmental impact, the Havas creative team wished to focus on the fact that littering is also a huge waste of paper, "especially when we know that on the other side of the mirror, there are thousands of children who do not have a piece of paper to learn, write and draw."
Cue lightbulb moment.
That's why, with the help of the UBCI bank customers, Havas implemented the initiative in an attempt to touch on several social aspects simultaneously: the environment, recycling, altruism, but especially sensitising adults and children about the importance of recycling.
The results spoke for themselves from the very first month of the campaign and appreciated the significant involvement from client side, which allowed the operation to spread further and become a cause for everyone.
They see the Ubuntu Award as a sacred dedication to sustainability as well as recognition of the efforts of everyone else. Unlike other awards, they're honoured as the Ubuntu Award rewards the social role of an advertising agency and a brand away from the usual advertising and commercial side of the world of communication. For the future, they aim to turn certain ideas into "the best shapes for efficient beings."
That's important as 'sustainable marketing' in Tunisia, as across the globe, is on the rise. Today, an agency ad or brand needs to be active in civil society with concrete actions, initiatives, projects and sustainable marketing. Advertising has evolved as today is the social era.
We evolved from simple advertising that promotes brand names to a general reflection of industry today, finding concrete solutions to social causes and problems.
On the African continent in particular, advertising needs to play this role to make things change and resolve issues as there are so many things to do, so many opportunities for creatives and brands alike.
Advertising has to be real and concrete. That's why I predict even greater Ubuntu Award entries next year - let's break the record!
Click here for more on the Lumkani fire initiative, which took home a Silver Ubuntu Loerie.
