Victorians encouraged to take their e-waste to a better place in new campaign via Icon Agency

Victorians are being urged to take their electronic waste (e-waste) to a better place in a bold, new behaviour change campaign created by Icon Agency for Sustainability Victoria.

Phase one of the two-year campaign launched this week, and is designed to help change the way people think about and dispose of their old electronics ahead of a state-wide ban on e-waste in rubbish bins and landfill starting 1 July, 2019.

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The campaign launches this week with a film created by Icon Agency and produced by Kiwi animation house, Cirkus. It features a family that shrinks and falls into a crack in the screen of an old mobile phone, followed by their fantastic journey of discovery inside the wonderful world of e-waste recycling.

Using 3D animated characters and an x-ray creative device, the campaign aims to help the public to see the positive value in recycling their old electrical items, and keeping them out of landfill to protect the planet for future generations.

The integrated ATL campaign was created by Icon Agency creative director team, Rod Clausen and Ed Bechervaise.

Says Clausen: “Rather than sending e-waste to landfill, the campaign encourages Victorians to ‘take your e-waste to a better place’ to recover the precious bits that can be reused and capture the nasty stuff before it can do any harm,”

In line with social marketing, education and awareness were seen as essential stages to achieving lasting change.  

Says Clausen: “The campaign’s key creative challenge was that most people couldn’t tell you what e-waste is, let alone how to dispose of it correctly. Our goal, was to ‘show’ the journey of e-waste in a fresh and completely different way.”

Says Rennae Christensen, campaign advisor for Sustainability Victoria’s social change and engagement department: “Icon Agency’s vision for this campaign has led to the creation of a unique and innovative campaign to educate Victorians about the value of recycling e-waste. We are excited to be delivering a campaign that starts the conversation about the largest growing waste stream in Australia in an entertaining and informative way.”

The campaign launched this week and will roll out in three phases across TV, cinema, online, press, posters, social media and PR channels over the next 12 months.

Icon Agency group account director, Hazel Tiernan, said the issue of e-waste was becoming more critical for all Australians.  

Says Tiernan: “The Victorian Government is investing $16.5 million to upgrade e-waste recycling centres at transfer stations so that by next year we will be able to recycle and process all types of e-waste in Australia. This is all about changing behaviours, and laying the groundwork leading up to the 2019 e-waste ban. Instead of throwing our old electrics in the bin, we’ll need to take our e-waste to one of many e-waste recycling centres across the state.”

Says Bechervaise: “Our creative ethos is based on pursuing possibility, and that’s exactly what we wanted to project with this campaign. We transport people to a wondrous state of mind through narrative storytelling, where useless electronic waste suddenly takes on new value and life.

“We want to use imagination to inspire behaviour change for communities, families and children, to make people feel something profound, and build a belief that there is much more to their old electronics.”

Says Clausen: “This campaign approaches the upcoming ban with a positive mind-set. The team at Cirkus really went above and beyond to deliver the vision we had. Their creativity, level of craft and ability to elevate the idea is amazing. We’re really proud of what we’ve produced together.

Icon is responsible for delivering creative strategy, campaign implementation, public relations and social media. To find out more about the campaign visit: ewaste.vic.gov.au.

Client – Sustainability Victoria

Campaign Lead, Social Change & Engagement – Kellie Watson

Press & Poster Illustrations – Cirkus, Auckland