How we helped reduce water pollution by 70%

CHALLENGE

The City of San Diego faced severe environmental problems caused by polluted water run-off spilling into beaches and bays.  The public needed to be made aware of the problem—and change behavior.

SOLUTION

To broaden the impact of media buys (and garner as much free air time as possible), the broadcast campaign was designed to be instantly memorable and highly innovative.  John DeBello wrote and directed a pair of award winning spots that met the criteria—“Water Babies,” featuring a host of swimming infants, and “Water Fowl,” a humorous approach that turned ugly waste into rubber duckies.

In addition to perceiving the needs of the public, the campaign was attuned to the desires of the media. It was determined that 1) the media is environmentally conscious; 2) it responds to visually stimulating material; and 3) it loves success stories.

By design, the campaign generated frequent television and newspaper coverage by incorporating these elements. Events such as the premier of the television PSAs were widely covered.  As the campaign progressed, metrics indicating the reduction of beach closures was regularly fed to the press–and the ensuing news coverage accelerated further success without additional cost to the City.

Behavior doesn’t change overnight–frequency of impressions was key. Thus, the broadcast media drove viewers to the website, which in turn provided in-depth information.

RESULTS

THINK BLUE became an unqualified success, resulting in a 70% reduction in beaches & bay closures and postings over a 3-year period.  Today, five years after its launch, the Emmy & BDA award winning TV campaign is still broadcast on a regular basis.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has adopted this storm water pollution prevention program as their national model.