Traditional social messaging campaigns deal with serious topics that deeply impact society and the environment, sometimes on a global scale. As a result, they can frequently end up being preachy or more often than not, guilt-inducing. But every once in a while, a truly memorable campaign comes along, whose message sticks with you.
Finally, one brand has dared to take an incredibly refreshing and different approach to spreading a social message, and a bank no less! DBS Bank has launched an atypical campaign which breaks away from the traditional way that CSR campaigns are generally run. Through the social entrepreneurs that it supports, DBS aims to address one of the biggest challenges of our time – waste management.
The waste crisis India faces today is seeming like an insurmountable problem as the population expands and urban concentration increases. While several solutions to this problem have been attempted with varying levels of success, DBS is focused on enabling the smarter way to tackle the issue with a movement to “Recycle more, Waste less”.
What’s exciting from a branding point of view is how they chose to communicate this. DBS featured actual stories of a couple of Social Innovators by creating fast-paced, quirky videos, complete with humorous puns which showcase the solution in a positive tone. Check out the two videos below:
The break-through idea was to package the social good message in a way that was uplifting and would be relatable to the millennial way of “doing good, while doing well”. As a friend, philosopher and guide to these social enterprises, DBS takes its expertise in financing commercial ventures and leverages its network to scale positive impact through these social enterprises.
These videos were a brilliant way to, not just establish a connect with the audience, but also drive home the underlying message of ‘Recycle more, Waste less’ that DBS is championing. To help amplify this message DBS leveraged – contextual topics like post-festival litter, interactive quizzes that determined your eco-persona, influencer marketing as well as digital innovations like gamified storytelling and contextually targeting shoppers on e-com platforms.
These innovative formats aligned with the progressive, young tone of the videos and campaign and hit the right chord with the audience. Viewers can get in touch with the enterprises Greensole and Sampurn(e)arth through the DBS website and join the movement.
The campaign is getting great traction with 1.2M+ engagements and more than 10 million video views and counting.
Overall this was a truly original take on how to amplify a social message to the apt target audience through genuinely shareable content and a compelling message.
