PIGEON AIR PATROL

Short List
TitlePIGEON AIR PATROL
BrandPLUME LABS
Product/ServicePLUME LABS
Category A01. Activation by Location
Entrant DIGITASLBi London, UNITED KINGDOM
Idea Creation DIGITASLBi London, UNITED KINGDOM
Credits
Name Company Position
Matt Steward DigitasLBi Managing Director
Chris Clarke DigitasLBi Chief Creative Officer, International
Pierre Duquesnoy DigitasLBi Group Creative Director
Nikki Stammers DigitasLBi Strategy Director
Helen Fuchs DigitasLBi Experience Director
Jasmin Kocur DigitasLBi Media Strategy Director
Cirine Drira DigitasLBi Content Strategist
Stuart Aitken DigitasLBi Head of Content
Katie Carruthers DigitasLBi Copywriter
Ben Sandhu DigitasLBi Design Director
Alan Chu DigitasLBi Designer
Darryl Morton DigitasLBi Lead Technologist
Kevin Mar-Molinero DigitasLBi Creative Technologist
Thomas Hill DigitasLBi Developer
David Lamb DigitasLBi Lead Producer
Julia Conroy DigitasLBi International PR & Marketing Director

The Campaign

The Pigeon Air Patrol… The world’s first flock of avian environmental crusaders, The Pigeon Air Patrol flew around London equipped with Plume’s tiny air-pollution sensors. The Patrol monitored air-quality in real time – sharing results live on Twitter as they flew. And anyone tweeting @PigeonAir received an instant update on pollution in their local area, from the nearest Patrol pigeon flying above them. The two biggest things pigeons allowed us to do were: i) Easily uncover important data during times when pollution levels are said to be the most toxic – the morning and evening rush hours, when London is otherwise gridlocked. ii) Quickly deliver localised air-pollution data in a disruptive, engaging and newsworthy way. Pigeons not only made the subject of air-pollution more accessible, it made it something people wanted to talk about. It also allowed us to inject some wit and change the tone of the conversation.

Creative Execution

We fitted ten pigeons with custom backpacks containing pollution sensors. Then, over 3 days, released them across London during rush hour. Going where no bike, car or drone can, they quickly gathered and shared data at the times when air quality is worst. Anyone tweeting their location to @PigeonAir got an instant response from a pigeon including: i) Local air pollution levels ii) Lively info-graphics showing the risks of air pollution iii) A prompt to visit a responsive platform : www.pigeonairpatrol.com On the campaign site people could: - View pigeons’ flight paths live - Learn about air pollution risks - Download Plume’s app with advice to protect themselves - Join the Air Patrol by beta testing a wearable Plume Labs device. All messaging had a unified tone of voice, which was witty, direct and accessible. And one unified visual treatment that was deliberately bright and colourful to grab attention in the Twitter feed.

– 2,000+ news stories globally (*highlights below) – Over 667 million impressions – Nearly 40,000 #PigeonAir mentions – Facebook Trending Topic – 93% of those who engaged said they cared more about air pollution as a result, which is a key predictor of behaviour change. – Crowdfunding goal exceeded inside 3 days. – Backed by the £10,000 raised, Plume Labs can now make 100 wearables for new Air Patrol members to beta test, Soon there will be a human-powered monitoring network across London. * Highlights of outlets running this story: Time magazine, Al Jazeera, The Guardian, Wired, the Evening Standard, TechCrunch, ITV, Discovery Channel, NPR, NBC News, Mashable, New Scientist, Washington Post, CNN, New York Post, Engadget, ABC Australia, Newsweek, Les Echos, Metro, TechRadar, Wall Street Journal, Time Out, The Independent, The Mirror, Forbes, Mail Online, BBC News, New Scientist, Fast Company, CNET, Marie Claire, Sky News and CBS.

TARGET AUDIENCE Everyone who lives and/or works in London. APPROACH Make air pollution a problem too relevant for Londoners to ignore by personalising the issue and explaining the risks. Collect and instantly share data that communicate air pollution is everywhere, all the time, and that levels vary by location – even from street to street. Twitter was the most relevant platform for this as it allowed us to connect with people on their mobile in an open, personalised way – sharing relevant data wherever they might be. It was also ideal for spreading the conversation fast to a broader audience, and fuelled media interest. To get traction on Twitter we used groups covering: Local interest – e.g. @TimeOutLondon @EveningStandard Outdoor activities – e.g. @cyclingweekly @runnersworld Commuting – e.g. @TfLTrafficNews @BBCTravelAlert Respiratory health charities – e.g. @AsthmaUK Existing conversations about the environment using keywords such as ‘emissions’, ‘smog’ ‘climate change’.