Hong Kong - Agency people are among the worst when it
comes to waste. As if being environmentally-unfriendly wasn't bad enough, they
are also prone to burning midnight oil in the office. Not only does it waste
energy, it also makes for unhappy and unproductive staff. To help save energy
and to help the agency folks get their lives back, Saatchi & Saatchi
decided to champion a “Green Office” movement episode 1– Bark you up at 6:45.
The idea is simple: twice a month, the
agency unplugs the light & air conditioning at 6:45pm sharp. So people have
no choice but to leave. In the midst of expected scepticism, Saatchi &
Saatchi Hong Kong kick-started the first movement in October. Reminders were
given prior to the action, offline and online. And as the clock ticked to
6:45pm, the agency urged staff to leave work and share their newfound freedom
with everyone they care about. For the stubborn few who insisted to stay, the
agency gave the last warning. The staff would be literally hounded to leave, as
the agency unleashed the dogs before shutting the office for the day.
“It’s a Win-Win-Win situation,” says Alexis
Chiu, Managing Director of Saatchi & Saatchi South China. “Cutting down on
energy means the Earth wins. Leaving early means our staff win. And with happy,
efficient staff who produce better work, our clients win. That’s creativity at
its best.”
‘Bark You Up at 6.45’ action has done a
great job in the first run. To reward the advocates of the green initiative,
the agency bought everyone a drink for the good cause. Saatchi & Saatchi is
committed to make ‘Bark You Up at 6.45’ an on-going program from now on. The
first action is taken at Saatchi & Saatchi Hong Kong office, and then it will
be spread to other branches; they even challenged their agency contemporaries
to join forces.
Happy energy saving. See you fresh in the
morning!