Advertising agency Derrick produces educational campaign to tackle plastic waste

Creating sustainable creative solutions to help businesses grow responsibly, Derrick recently launched an educational “Message in a bottle” documentary styled series for its client, PETCO. The campaign shines a spotlight on the opportunities that are available in the waste sector and highlights some entrepreneurs who are really making a difference in their community.

The Netflix-style documentary series came about to create a body of content for plastic bottle recycling that feels like it belongs in the zeitgeist (along with selfies, Instagram and climate awareness).

Too often, plastic is vilified. The PETCO model shows how to energise this very real positive change in our country and how it is impacting so many people in South Africa, creating employment and livelihoods.

This involved not only interviewing individuals who are achieving great things in their communities and businesses through recycling (which PETCO has done for a number of years with their annual awards), but showing that they’re all part of an ecosystem that makes recycling possible in South Africa and gives us hope that some truly great things are happening in our country.

While the numbers are impressive (when PETCO was formed in 2003, just 16% of all post-consumer use PET plastic in the market was collected for recycling; last year, PETCO’s efforts translated into nearly 70% collected on behalf of its members) Derrick wanted to connect people (consumers) to the incredible ecosystem of collectors and recyclers and businesses (who are also people too) who are making sure that there is a sustainable solution here.

Derrick has weaved a story of understanding of the incredible volume of work that is going on in the background, using the PETCO award winners of the year, and how they are connected in this recycling chain.

‘It’s such a largely unseen world because very few consumers care about packaging,’ explains Executive Creative Director, Livio Tronchin. ‘It simply does not stimulate the kind of interest that the fashion, food & beverage and entertainment industries do – I mean, when did you last buy a soft drink for the bottle?’

He continues, ‘Yet it’s very complex, fulfils a very important role in modern society, is very compelling in its potential to effect real change and practically impossible to explain in an ad.’

So, what the agency aimed to do through the series is to show this journey in as interesting and emotional way as possible. And to that end, the agency enlisted the help of director Louw Venter, who was able to discover a real burgeoning star and fashion model Lindiwe Dim. He created a road-movie style docu-series packed with all the interest of a slick documentary and the emotion of a Netflix series. And hopefully turn the PET recycling chain into something everyone could relate to.

The series follows Lindiwe on her journey from finishing her bottle of water to: seeing how collection creates jobs; recycling stimulates innovation unlike anywhere else in the world; catalyses change; and motivates businesses to step up to the table and get involved.

This series truly is the first of its kind in the recycling and sustainability space and, has been very successful thus far.

Credits

• Executive Creative Director – Livio Tronchin (co-wrote, co-directed, etc.)
• Director – Louw Venter
• Producer – Tassyn Munro-Finn
• Production House – Pretty Neat
• Marketing Officer – Kara Levy