Cars NOT Carbon
We all know that we need to reduce our carbon footprint. But did you know that on average each person in the UK is responsible for producing 10 tonnes of C02 each year? The government’s aim to cut emissions by one fifth by 2010 looks increasingly set to fail and so we see more and more initiatives to encourage people to reduce their carbon footprint – but can we realistically ask people to change their lifestyles for the sake of the environment?
Most people want to make a difference, but in way that will be benefit them too. The Cars NOT Carbon competition, run by Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership, asked creative agencies to put forward their ideas.
The team at Forster thought about asking people to make less unnecessary journeys in their car as a good way to reduce carbon. After conducting some research, we discovered that most people thought in local terms – about cutting down on car journeys to the local shop, the video store, the gym and school. With this in mind, we created our locally focused campaign, which was shortlisted by the competition judges.
Once we'd decided to focus on the links between unecessary car journeys and people feeling 'addicted' to using their cars, we thought about locating the voice of the campaign inside the car itself - a car that wants to tell it's owner to stop driving to the gym when cycling would be more logical. We extended the idea to create a new concept of 'car abuse' and use this to create online communities where people could check their levels of car 'addiction' and get support from other car addicts.
Our creative strategy centred around the message GIVE CARS A BREAK.
This was innovative. Most sustainable travel marketing messages point towards the benefits of alternative methods rather than focusing on the problems associated with driving. In general, we'd agree, and our work with Worcestershire County Council's Choose How You Move campaign was entirely based on this 'carrot rather than stick' approach.
But for the competition we took a leap, layering the message with plenty of irony to lighten the tone and have fun with subverting the conventions of sustainable travel marketing.
In fact there are plenty of happy car addicts out there. People seeing their car as an extension of their personality is a cliche, but as any car marketer will tell you, it's one that carries serious pyschological weight. Research by the RAC in 2003 showed that 45% of UK motorists give their car a name, 80% of drivers talk to their car and 78% admit to 'loving' their car.
Persuading people to change their driving habits isn't going to be easy. Cars offer us power, freedom and an expression of personaility and status. How can we position the benefits of walking, cycling and using public transport in a way that will carry equal, if not stronger, personal benefits and rewards?
For Forster, entering a competition like Cars NOT Carbon is a great way to keep our brains fizzing.
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