When Philips launched a new Senseo coffee maker made from recycled electronic appliances, I developed a PR-led campaign to help them achieve impact and awareness.
The Challenge
In an era of greenwashing and ‘eco-overload,’ how do you launch Viva Café Eco, the latest addition to Philips’ flagship Senseo range of at-home coffee appliances?
The strategy
In a nutshell, think ‘green from the heart.’
Shoppers have been bombarded with corporate ‘green’ messages to such an extent that they’re now cynical, while at the same time still being eager to ‘do their part’ for the environment.
This PR-led campaign therefore had to tell a different kind of story – one that focused on (brand) credibility and infectious passion, which provided a strong, authentic counterpoint to the more predictable approach to eco-products of which shoppers are all too aware – and skeptical.
The solution
I dived deep into the product development story, capturing the passion of the R&D team for their work and the product solutions they create. We developed a number of assets for countries to activate, including a key online video which told the story ‘behind the product,’ by the people who made it.
Working closely with the packaging design team, we created a covetable limited edition box, which included (for the very first time at Philips) an on-package QR code linking to our video.
This had the added benefit of eliminating the need for POS production, as consumers were able to get all the information they needed in-store.
Separately, we entered the Viva Café Eco into a number of key industry eco-awards (it won 3, including the 2012 iF Design Materials Award), to further cement the sustainability credibility of the Philips brand.
