London - 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.
Toyota has long been renowned for its environmental thinking and innovation. Leaders in hybrid technology, they have produced full hybrid cars since 1997 and were the first car manufacturer to be certified as ISO 14001 compliant. Tobias Eklund, Manager Marketing Communications, Toyota Sweden, said: "Here at Toyota, we have a vision for a zero-emission future. With 'A Glass of Water' we were able to share this with drivers throughout Sweden."
Tom Hedstrom, Business Director, Saatchi & Saatchi Stockholm, said: "This Green Award is a great acknowledgement of Toyota's commitment to creative sustainability activity. We are delighted to play a part in this, and to be helping its customers make a difference by their own actions."
Hans Sydow, CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi Sweden, said: "We are thrilled that ‘A Glass of Water' has been recognised at the Green Awards. 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."
The Green Awards were established in 2006 and have since become firmly established on the global eco-calendar. Highlighting a range of green issues, their motto of ‘creativity in sustainability' best explains the Green Awards' commitment towards recognising and rewarding the most creative and effective efforts to communicate green messages. This year's ceremony was hosted by BBC Radio 2 presenter Janey Lee Grace and designer Wayne Hemingway MBE.