Dive Brief:
- Hefty launched its first sustainability-focused national campaign by teaming with the world's strongest man, Martins Licis, the company shared with Marketing Dive.
- The digital campaign features humorous videos of Licis wearing a harness and pulling an empty passenger plane. In the hero spot, the voiceover boasts that Hefty has helped to convert 300 tons — the equivalent of five planes — of hard-to-recycle plastics.
- Other elements include 15- and 6-second video cuts that integrate with YouTube's bumper interface to urge viewers to click on the linked microsite, and mobile ads customized for Snapchat to make it appear as if Licis cracked viewers' phone screens. The campaign was developed with Minneapolis-based agency Periscope.
Dive Insight:
In its latest multichannel campaign, Hefty is working to demonstrate its sustainability efforts in a tangible way. Teaming with the world's strongest man will likely illustrate the durability of the brand's trash bags while highlighting the scope of its sustainability efforts in a humorous manner.
The spots deliver the message in a playful tone but also help viewers understand exactly what the brand is doing to elevate its environmentally conscious positioning through relatable visuals — in this case, the size of the airplane. The ads clearly deliver the message that by using Hefty's EnergyBags, consumers can do their part in creating a more sustainable world. Hefty says its EnergyBag program has diverted more than 1 million pounds of hard-to-recycle plastic from landfills.
Hefty's digital campaign comes amid an uptick in consumers seeking ways to incorporate sustainability into their lives through behavior changes and purchasing from brands that share those values. Spending on products in this category is expected to reach $150.1 million by 2021, Nielsen estimates. Millennials are twice as likely as boomers to change their habits to reduce their impact on the environment. The demographic is willing to pay slightly more for products that help them achieve this goal, with 90% saying they would pay a higher price for products that contain environmentally friendly or sustainable ingredients, per Nielsen.
Brands from every category are responding to this demand with more purpose-based messaging and products. Athleticwear company Saucony ran its first Super Bowl ad this year and used the pricey ad buy to highlight its commitment to sustainability by turning recycled plastic bottles into sneakers. Additionally, Pepsi-owned SodaStream recently hired Matt Kahn as its new CMO, who will be tasked with developing messaging that is specifically dedicated to promoting the message that the sparkling water maker can help consumers significantly reduce their plastic waste consumption.
