Saatchi & Saatchi has been honoured alongside Toyota with a prestigious Green Award for their "Glass of Water" iPhone application campaign. The award for "Best Green Mixed Media" (Integrated) was announced at a gala ceremony at the Natural History Museum in London last night.
Also shortlisted for Best Green Advertising Award (Print & Outdoor) and Best Green Use of Mobile Apps and Technologies, the "Glass of Water" campaign was commended by judges for its innovative use of technology: "the creative approach was simple, fun and extremely intuitive for drivers to use."
The campaign was a joint effort between Saatchi & Saatchi Sweden and Toyota aimed to encourage drivers to reduce fuel consumption. The idea developed from a calculation that if all drivers in Sweden drove with a glass of water on their dashboard and completed their journey without spilling it, their driving would be gentler and thus more economical, which could lower carbon dioxide emission by 2 million tons per year.
The iPhone application Saatchi & Saatchi developed in response is designed to look and act like a glass of water, registering the volume spilled during the trip, to act as a visual challenge for the driver to drive carefully enough to avoid spillage and reduce carbon emissions.
"This Green Award is a great acknowledgement of Toyota's commitment to creative sustainability activity," commented Tom Hedstrom, Business Director, Saatchi & Saatchi Stockholm. "We are delighted to play a part in this, and to be helping its customers make a difference by their own actions."
"We are thrilled that 'A Glass of Water' has been recognised at the Green Awards," said Hans Sydow, CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi Sweden. "The campaign took on a life of its own as users took up the challenge and shared it with their friends, and brought about a new consciousness of the benefits of mindful driving for both individuals and the planet."