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There were many great sustainability campaigns in 2024. Caring for the environment has become mainstream for brands. Whether it’s through raising awareness, launching initiatives, or tackling important issues, the companies are focused on sustainability. The digital signage industry is not an exception in that regard. Let’s review some of the best sustainability campaigns in 2024.
1. Refill & Renew – Germaine de Capuccini
Why: the prestige cosmetics company produces one of the best sustainability campaigns in 2024 with their “Refill & Renew.” The new initiative introduces eco-friendly refillable bottles that help reduce plastic waste. But that’s not all. The company also offers a 20% discount for customers who purchase refillable bottles. In other words, the Carmen Vidal-founded brand puts the money where its mouth is and we can’t help but applaud such an environmental commitment.
And that’s not everything the brand does to stay sustainable. 75% of all Germaine de Capuccini products are recyclable and the brand has a CO2 Zero Project certification.
2. Care means the world – Philips
Why: Philips focuses on sustainable healthcare in this brilliant campaign. That’s because the brand is among the leaders in supplying the tech used in hospitals. “Care means the world” cements the company’s devotion to providing energy-efficient solutions in healthcare. It’s also not a flashy commercial that tackles environmental issues without actually having the data to prove it. Philips sparks attention to show the audience how it drives sustainable healthcare.
There’s a landing page that lists measures taken by the company to bring a more environmentally friendly healthcare experience. It features five Philips products that are used in hospitals and shows how exactly these devices help keep it sustainable. We love this approach and placing Philips’ initiative among the best sustainability campaigns in 2024.
3. Recycle Me – Coca-Cola
Why: it’s very straightforward with the Ogilvy-created “Recycle Me” campaign of Coca-Cola. The main goal here is to raise awareness. And smart advertising makes you pay attention to what the brand is trying to channel. The campaign focused on DOOH and OOH spaces and was launched in Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico. It features the recognizable brand’s logo but in various “crashed” positions to spark interest in the recycling process.
The campaign is a part of Coca-Cola’s “World Without Waste” strategy which includes the pledge to “make all packaging 100% recyclable by 2025 and to collect and recycle the equivalent of every bottle and can sold by 2030.” Now that’s an ambitious plan and we salute Coca-Cola for the effort.
4. Your e-waste doesn’t have to go to waste – Dell
Why: Dell gets ultra-creative for their e-waste campaign. Launched during SXSW 2024, the effort put a gigantic QR code at the corner of San Jacinto and 3rd Street in Austin close to Dell’s SXSW headquarters. And while it may look like a classic OOH billboard, there’s a catch. The QR code is “created” from the pieces of old electronics. It’s the best depiction of e-waste there can be.
But that’s not the end of the initiative. The QR code is actually working and it directs users to https://dell.com/Recycle page where they can discover more info about recycling their old electronic equipment. Here’s what Dell said about the campaign: “All that old technology you’re not using doesn’t mean it can’t still be useful. When you e-cycle your old stuff, Dell can use the parts to turn it into new, better things. The QR code installation is meant to make that easier for everyone.”
This is truly a 360-degree sustainability campaign with a clear purpose, flawless execution, and real-life results and it deserves a place on our list.
5. 80°C – Nescafé
Why: keeping your sustainability message simple is always a great idea. Nescafé does that with the “Make Your World.” According to the company’s data, each second people consume 5700 cups of coffee. But you don’t need to go 100°C to enjoy the best taste. Nescafé tastes best at 80°C and by committing to that heat level you’re helping the environment and saving energy. There’s a beautiful video to accompany this thought that takes the viewers on a worldwide tour of how different cultures consume coffee.
6. Decades – Smokey Bear
Why: are you ready for some cuteness? The Smokey Bear Wildfire Prevention campaign returns in 2024, but this time with the help of one famous actor. Brian Tyree Henry (known for Atlanta, Marvel’s Immortals, and Bullet Train) dons his voice to the iconic character. Smokey Bear PSA has a colored history spanning decades of warning Americans about the risks of wildfires and giving them prevention tips. “Decades” is a very cinematic and emotional campaign that focuses on the role of the people in making sure that wildfires never happen.
7. Let’s put AI to work for the planet – Microsoft
Why: And here is the last of the best sustainability campaigns! You can feel that Microsoft worked hard to make this online campaign impactful. The technological giant created a landing page entirely devoted to addressing the sustainability challenges and the role of AI in solving them. Users can find answers to various environmental questions and learn more about the company’s involvement in helping with these issues. Each question leads to a separate Microsoft website page with more information. This sustainability campaign was designed with Koto.
Here’s our previous list of the 7 Best Sustainability Campaigns in 2023
Sustainability is high on the campaign agendas of world-leading brands. And it’s definitely a great thing. The more environmentally important issues are being talked about the better it is for the planet. 2023 is a great year for eco-conscious campaigning, we’ve seen some awesome projects already. That’s why we’d like to celebrate them by sharing the best sustainability campaigns in 2023 with you.
1. Inter Miami x (Re)Boot Apparel Campaign
Why: with the latest Messi transfer, Inter Miami has a lot going on right now. The eyes of the whole football community are looking their way. It’s refreshing to see that the club uses all of this attention to address important environmental issues.
The Florida megaclub partners with (re)Boot, the sports apparel brand that is focused on upcycling discarded sports clothes. Founded by the former football player Gabriella Mas, (re)Boot recognized the problem of a quick discharge of clothing in sports and chose to act on it. With Inter Miami collab their business will be able to gain necessary traction so it’s a great move altogether.
2. E.ON Climate Change ad
Why: instead of talking, show it. That’s the way German electric utility company E.ON chooses to do a campaign. We see various people doing the routing things as the world around them is literally crumbling to pieces. It’s the Apocalypse unfolding with burning forests, tornadoes, melting ice, and flooded villages. The future is not nice. But there’s hope and this hope is sustainability. E.ON sells solar panels and that’s a perfect way to position their product.
3. Sustainability podcast by Puma
Why: things get interesting in the sportswear industry. Puma has launched a whole podcast series devoted to sustainability and it is quite an original way to tackle the climate change and eco-related issues by the brand that has a vast production around the world. Also, as the company put it, having a podcast is a way not to “oversimplify” things and give pressing environmental issues a fitting representation.
There are 10 episodes, the talking heads are the popular Gen-Z voices, and the whole podcast is reflecting on the sustainability and human rights-related ideas from the company’s 2022 Sustainability Report.
4. WhatsApp game about nature reserves – WWF
Why: we love when marketing gets really creative. The famous conservation organization WWF went a very original way with their efforts of shedding light on the necessity of increasing the number of nature reserves in Germany. Instead of doing billboards or producing a video, the organization created… a game. For WhatsApp.
If you were caught off guard by discovering that the Facebook-owned messaging behemoth has a gaming side, you are not alone. But WhatsApp is also the most used messaging app in Germany, so WWF’s calculation seems safe. And how beautiful is the idea of creating a game that allows users to rescue animals and save the forest ecosystem? Definitely one of the best sustainability campaigns of 2023.
5. Uncrap The World – Who Gives a Crap
Why: it’s all puns and bum-related word games in the latest DOOH campaign by the 100% recycled tissue toilet paper brand Who Gives a Crap. In a bit of a lighthearted yet powerful sustainable advertisement, the company calls customers to save the world by using toilet paper that understands and tackles the drastic impact of the classic toilet paper industry on the forests. Who Gives a Crap uses a humorous approach to sell and it works given the environmental focus of the company.
6. Earth Day campaign – Purpose Disruptors
Why: it gets quite meta with Purpose Disruptor’s latest DOOH campaign on climate change. The agency uses advertising tropes to address the impact of advertising on the environment while using the most effective advertising techniques and most-seen advertising spaces. But it’s familiar waters for the agency that was created with this specific purpose, to talk loud and clear about how marketing impacts climate change and how action must be taken in order to slow this process.
7. The Drop Store – Netherlands’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Why: we love ourselves a little bit of dystopian advertising. Even more interesting when it comes from an unexpected place such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands. On the eve of the UN Water Conference 2023, the state institution decided to do something different to address the issue of water scarcity. In cooperation with Publicis Groupe Benelux, the Ministry inaugurated a “grocery shop” installation where water is luxury and costs $198. “Browsing” such a store gives you an idea of what climate change does to a supply chain and how in the end everyone is affected. So, it was the last of the sustainability campaigns 2023.
