Title	TOXIC TOBY CLEAN AIR BEAR
Brand	BREEZOMETER
Product/Service	BREEZOMETER
Category	D03. Use of Real-time Data
Entrant	McCANN LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM
Idea Creation	McCANN LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM
Media Placement	McCANN LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM
PR	McCANN LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM
Production	CRAFT LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM

Name	Company	Position
Rob Doubal	McCann London	Co-President and Chief Creative Officer
Laurence Thomson	McCann London	Co-President and Chief Creative Officer
Sanjiv Mistry	McCann London	Executive Creative Director
Jamie Mietz	McCann London	Executive Creative Director
James Crosby	McCann London	Copywriter
William Cottam	McCann London	Art Director
Elizabeth Bernstein	McCann London	Head of New Business
Rohin Lalli	McCann London	Senior Account Manager
Nick Kavanagh	McCann London	Comms Strategy Partner
Katya Escala	McCann London	Communications Director
Sergio Lopez	Craft/McCann	Chief Production Officer EMEA
Zara Balfour	Craft/McCann	Executive Producer
Duncan Groves	Craft/McCann	Agency Producer
Nicholas Mugridge	Craft/McCann	Business Affairs
Chris Groves	Craft/McCann	Music Supervisor
Ben Twiston-Davis	Craft/McCann	Director
Adam Beasley	Craft/McCann	Editor
Giselle Hall	Craft/McCann	Editor
Tara Henderson	McCann London	Planner
Paul Gillespie	McCann London	Project Manager
David Smith	MRM/McCann	Business Director
Alex Hegarty	MRM/McCann	Senior Interface Developer

Why is this work relevant for Direct?

In London there are 430 schools in areas where the air is illegal, and evidence proves that young children are most at risk from pollution. BreezoMeter provide real-time location-based air quality data, but it lacked engagement from the public. This campaign was specifically targeted to parents around schools to inform, educate and provoke a reaction.

Background

Contributing to 40 times as many deaths than road traffic accidents, air pollution in London is at breaking point and has been dubbed the invisible killer. Our client, BreezoMeter, have made it their mission to combat this by collecting and publishing real-time, location-based air quality data. BreezoMeter challenged us to find a way of liberating their data and educating the public to the immediate dangers of air pollution in order to catalyse action towards alleviating the problem.

Describe the creative idea

BreezoMeter provide real-time, location-based air quality data; but often data can be cold, emotionless and lack a physical presence. So we gave pollution data a face. A furry face taking the shape of a teddy bear named Toxic Toby. He is part roadside memorial, part neighbourhood utility, and connected to real-air quality data from BreezoMeter. When pollution reaches harmful levels, Toxic Toby is triggered to raise his paw to his mouth and start cough, alerting the public to the immediate dangers around them. Simultaneously, an automated Tweet is sent out to local MPs alerting them to the issue and pushing them to act.

Describe the strategy

Air quality forecasts from BreezoMeter were cross-referenced with primary schools in the capital, which meant we could plan the exact locations for Toxic Toby to be effective. BreezoMeter provides air quality data for the 6 main pollutants, all of which at high levels can be seriously damaging to our health. Toxic Toby was live-linked to these readings, and if one pollutant breached the safe limit as recommended by the World Health Organisation, he was instantly triggered to cough. We implemented a two-pronged approach, starting a street level Toxic Toby provoked the public by shedding light on the harmful levels of pollution plaguing the city, and also offered a simple social tool for them to get their voice heard and put pressure on their local MPs.

Describe the execution

Toxic Toby launched on Zero Emissions Day on Brixton Road - the most polluted street in London – where he spent the day affixed to a lamppost by a congested road. In the weeks afterwards, he took a tour around some of the most polluted areas in London, popping up near schools to spread his message. So far, Toxic Toby has visited every borough in London, and still continues today. What started a London-centric initiative quickly spread further afield, with the public requesting Toxic Toby to turn up in their neighbourhoods.

List the results

During the campaign, every MP in London was engaged with via Toxic Toby, and many opened up dialogue to find out more. Conversations online around the issue of pollution grew 300%, putting the issue front and centre in the public domain. BreezoMeter saw a distinct rise in brand affinity and placed them amongst extensive online discussions about the issue of air quality, and they also achieved second stage funding of 7.5 million through private investment. The campaign garnered huge PR both in the UK and abroad from the likes of the BBC, CBS and The British Lung Foundation, and even caught the attention of the World Health Organisation where we are currently in talks to mass produce Toxic Toby and have him as a permanent fixture in every major city around the world.

Describe the use of data, or how the data enhanced the campaign output

Although BreezoMeter’s data provides a unique perspective on air quality globally, the statistics themselves lacked emotion and humanity and sat on a website that very few people knew about. So we gave pollution data a face. A furry face in the form of a teddy bear named Toxic Toby. He is part roadside memorial, part neighbourhood utility, and connected to BreezoMeter’s real-time air quality data. When pollution reaches harmful levels, Toxic Toby is triggered to raise his paw to his mouth and start coughing, alerting the public to the immediate dangers around them. Simultaneously, an automated Tweet is sent out to the local MP making them aware of the issue and pushing them to act.