WWF: "THE BIG MELT" Outdoor Advert by Iris

Category: Special Build
Advertiser: WWF
Product/Service: CLIMATE CHANGE AWARENESS
Agency: IRIS AMSTERDAM
Creative Director: Tom Ormes
Copywriter: Tom Ormes
Art Director: Glenn Doherty
Producer: Saskia Baaij Verhoeven
Account Manager: Mark Brounen/Matt Atherton
Account Manager: Mark Brounen/Matt Atherton
Other Credits: Green Graffiti/Tessa Sosnowy/Jim Bowes

Ambient Execution Description
This issue of climate change is hard to keep front of mind with the public - whilst the issue is urgent, the impact seems hard to quantify. The WWF were looking for an impactful way to keep the public talking and tweeting, keeping climate change on the agenda. With zero budget, how could they drive the public to their website to find out more?

THE SOLUTION:
In early 2012, ice formed on the canals of Amsterdam. It was big news, (the first time it’s happened in 17 years). This presented us with a unique opportunity to raise awareness of climate change in a way that hadn’t been done before.

We devised a new and environmentally-friendly method of delivering messages onto ice.

In prime spots around the city, we transferred* QR codes onto the ice, which had a link to the WWF site (http://www.wnf.nl/nl/wat_wnf_doet/thema_s/klimaat/) and instantly put the problem of climate change in people’s hands. Once the ice started to melt, it was a natural, relevant and visual ‘demonstration’ of the problem. There was no media spend, and there are no laws against printing on ice. It got the public talking.


*Transferring the QR code onto ice was done through the use of a custom-made (and environmentally-friendly) thick ‘sand’ that naturally stuck to the ice. It was applied through a sheet-metal stencil. Even during wind the QR code was scannable, disintegrating only once the ice melted.