Barwon Water are one of the many water retailers at the forefront of the water security struggle faced by Australia. With rainfall not as regular, rising climate and an increasing (and thirsty) population, making the most of every drop is more important than ever. Hive were engaged to help develop a strategic, attention grabbing campaign that would give Barwon Water a way to help people think about the water in their taps, how valuable it is and what we can do to protect it. No small task.
Hive began with the strategy, developing a journey that consumers would embark upon. Designed to help people see the value in every drop, it eased them through understanding not only the value of water, but also why the world is changing before arming them with ways they can help. This was expanded into a five stage messaging framework, speaking to why water is valuable, the challenge the region faces, and saving water. It also introduced pillars that spoke to the smart things that Barwon are doing, and opened the conversation around new water sources. Something that has not been discussed much to date.
Visually and tonally the campaign needed to cut through. Australians have had water saving messages splashed their way for decades, so finding an arresting way to present our new information was important. This was done by breathing new life into an already existing Barwon Water asset. We took their beloved character Drop, previously only used for kids comms, and empowered her to really speak her mind. A loveable activist, she was charged with addressing and literally changing common water misconceptions. Nothing was off limits, and this gave us an unexpected way to deliver messages with clout. We had created a very flexible campaign device that could react with speed, be clever, inform and even be hugged at events.
The campaign was designed to work almost entirely below the line, making the most of summer activations and owned channels. Tshirts, cushions, umbrellas, hotel stickers and even a van supported a ground level and owned media placement.
Still very much flowing today, the campaign has been embraced and endorsed by community leaders, and is actively helping the greater Geelong region see our most precious resource very differently.