John Milne
Activation: Safefood Students
Students never like being lectured by anyone, least of all the Government. This campaign for food safety slipped under their defences in a unique way.
As a Government agency, Safefood were tasked with encouraging higher standards of food hygiene among consumers. A tv campaign used a strategy of trying to ‘embarrass’ people into taking more care for the sake of their family and friends. However, research revealed this strategy cut no ice with students…
Our Approach
Students never like being lectured by anyone, least of all the Government. They view their own dirty kitchens and bad eating habits as a matter of perverse pride, rather than something to worry about. So we created the fictional ‘Safefood Society’.
To get under their radar we spoofed college clubs and societies with wordplays on their names, linking quickly to the Safefood message: ‘Make sure you’re fit for any society.’ By going through Student Unions we obtained free media on college noticeboards etc.
As an incentive and data collection mechanic we invited students to nominate their own or a friend’s kitchen in a bid to win a cleaner for a term. Could we find the worst kitchen in Ireland? 10 especially desperate kitchens were shortlisted, and Safefood’s clinical ‘hit squad’ determined the ultimate winner.
The campaign was supported with beermats plus postcards in college cafes and shops, bookmarks in campus libraries, and Adwalkers to create on-campus ‘noise’. They also distributed student ‘survival kits’, containing a booklet of practical advice plus cleaning products (j-cloth, sponge, rubber gloves).
Results
The campaign reached 12,000 students directly and obtained phenomenal PR coverage, including TV, radio and press. 1709 student households entered the competition to win a cleaner. Entries were received from a range of 33 colleges although only 8 were targeted, demonstrating a viral effect. This campaign also won the gold award for best creative at the APMCs.
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