Can we talk dirty?
Overview
Local council recycling comms are historically dry. A list of dos and don'ts that are easy to forget, or even ignore. Ecosurety and Lambeth Council wanted to test a new approach. Instead of a general 'Please recycle' CTA which we've all heard before, this needed to have real impact. We identified food as one of the worst contaminants for recycling, and used that as our hook to start the conversation. The only problem is, contaminated recycling isn't exactly a turn on for the ears or the eyes. But what if we strip the conversation back and invite people to…talk dirty?
Project type
Campaign
Client
Hubbub Ecosurety Lambeth Council
Role
Creative Lead
Services
Campaign Strategy, Art Direction, Illustration, Copywriting, Digital & Print Assets
Collaborators
Chocolate Films
Getting to it
As creative lead, I developed the overarching concept, shaping the copy, visual identity, and video direction to feel sharp and cohesive. Operating with no photography budget meant leaning into existing assets and using provocative copy to do the heavy lifting. Throughout the project, we continuously reflected on the core aim: to test a new approach in a small sample area. Our role was to challenge standard norms, rewrite the recycling narrative and start a different kind of conversation.
Creative Direction
Rather than talk about a particular type of food contaminant, we honed in on those visceral, messy words that people associate with leftovers. This is what drove the creative direction. In static assets, we used close up shots of the most common contaminants, and took it even further in the video. Photography was treated with a halftone B&W effect to highlight textures, bring consistency and allow the copy to become the focal point.
And then what?
To have actual impact, we went multi-channel across digital and physical touchpoints. The campaign video ran at the Ritzy Cinema alongside a targeted social ad strategy, while local billboards and direct-to-door flyers met residents out in the wild. This dual approach of online and IRL placement built deep campaign recall and ensured the message actually landed.
