At sporadic intervals between the 1980s to the early 2000s, the Care Bears, a multi-coloured collection of pint-sized heroes, appeared on television entertaining kids with their various adventures against the forces of evil. Powered by a range of super powers indicated by the emblems emblazoned across their chests, the Care Bears dedicated their days to increasing the levels of care in the world. And, now, three years after the Care Bears last made a TV appearance, tissue brand Earthcare has introduced its own variation of a bear that can’t help but care, perhaps a little too much.
But rather than following the cute footsteps of the Care Bears, Earthcare has opted for a slightly more intimidating iteration of a do-gooder bear.
In a new series of spots developed by Work Communications and shot by Useful Films, a massive bear is seen interrupting people’s activities and recommending environmentally friendly alternatives. And then, once the fearful humans acquiesce to its demands, the bear shows its groovier side by performing an impromptu boogie, regardless of where it is.
All these videos have been embedded on the Earthcare Cares website, where visitors can also access a range of other information on how to care about for the environment.
The Earthcare brand, a subsidiary of ABC Tissues, has been positioned in the local market with a strong enviornmental message. According to the website, the recycling efforts used by ABC Tissues helps to save 550,000 trees from the chainsaw each year.
But the company’s efforts extend beyond simply saving trees. The company also produces its product from post-consumer waste, which would otherwise add to the the nation’s landfills. Through these efforts, Earthcare stops 42,000 tonnes of waste paper from reaching the dump.
Through its environmental efforts, Earthcare has been given FSC and Enviromark accreditation. And while this could be construed as simply adding a pair of badges to the packaging, it’s worth noting that conscious consumerism is on the rise in New Zealand and that consumers are increasingly questioning the provenance of their products.
And as revealed by a Nielsen study in Australia published last year, going green can also be profitable for a brand.
“Consumers are willing to support a brand because of their ‘go green’ or ‘go social’ credentials …. The survey showed that two in five Australians will, and 29 percent bought a product or service from a company supporting a worthy cause in the last month even though it was slightly more expensive,” said Johnny Gorman, Nielsen’s director of Shopper Practice Nielsen, in an post on the study. “We have seen growth in grocery products with clear positioning around the environment. Nielsen research reveals household cleaning products with eco labelling saw a 14.2 percent increase in value sales when compared to a year ago. And shoppers are paying on average nearly $2 more per litre for eco-friendly dishwashing products.”
And much like the SPCA blue tick programme, these environmental badges give consumers peace of mind and help to assuage some of the guilt associated with purchasing mass-produced items.
Credits:
Client
ABC Tissue – Phillip Ta
Work Communications
Managing Director – Gaylene Anderson
Creative Director – Marco Emerins
Senior Creative – Jeremy Littlejohn
Art Director – Craig Parker
Account Director – Renee Moyle
Producer – Monica Anderson
Gravitate Senior Designer – Jamie Saint Merat
Production House – Useful Films
