Title	OCEAN VINYL
Brand	SHARP'S BREWERY
Product/Service	RECYCLED RECORD
Category	B04. Business Citizenship / Corporate Responsibility & Environmental
Entrant	HAVAS LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM
Idea Creation	HAVAS LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM
PR	ONE GREEN BEAN LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM
Production	HAVAS LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM

Name	Company	Position
Mark Whelan	Havas London	Executive Creative Director
Brodie King	Havas London	Copywriter
Owen Hunter Jenkins	Havas London	Art director
Alice Marsh	Havas London	Business Director
Andrew Symonds	Havas London	Account Manager
Katy David	Havas London	Account Executive
Kiri Hammond	Havas London	Agency Executive Producer (film)
Mary Musasa	Havas London	Agency Producer (film)
James Orr	Havas London	Agency producer (print)
Ravi Matharu	Havas London	Strategy Director
Clare Phayer	Havas London	Planner

Why is this work relevant for PR?

It’s not often a story captures the imagination of both industry and consumers alike. And that’s exactly what we achieved with Ocean Vinyl. This is the story of how a beer brand joined forces with an artist and record label to create an idea from the very problem that pollutes our seas. The first playable vinyl made from washed up plastic pieces from the Atlantic. A product with purpose, highlighting the devastating effects of ocean pollution. We used the power of culture and influence to change attitudes and build a strong positioning for Sharp’s Atlantic. A brand worth talking about.

Background

Sharp’s Brewery is committed to protecting the Atlantic, the ocean that surrounds its home and inspires its brewing process. It even named a beer after it! It’s the reason why Sharp’s created music using sounds from the Atlantic in 2018, and signed the “act” to Universal under the stage-name Keynvor - Cornish for “ocean” - with all royalties going to fund its protection. Build on the success of Keynvor and develop the next iteration of the platform with an exciting and highly PR’able campaign rooted in sustainability. Raise awareness of Sharp’s commitment to combating ocean plastic in the Atlantic and build an emotional connection with its audience. ● Position Sharp’s Atlantic as a contemporary brand in tune with the demands of the 21st Century drinker. ● Develop a unique collaboration to demonstrate Sharp’s commitment to reducing ocean plastic and take credit for the activation. ● Raise £10,000: Surfers Against Sewage

Describe the creative idea (20% of vote)

Sharp’s Atlantic created the first playable vinyl made from recycled ocean plastic collected from the Cornish coast. Giving music-lovers the chance to own something that’s made out of ‘single-use’ plastic, which they can treasure forever, whilst highlighting the devastating effects of plastic-pollution in UK seas. We needed a voice, someone equally passionate about ocean conservation. An artist with a loyal fanbase. An artist with scale and influence. This came in the form of Nick Mulvey. We commissioned the Mercury-nominated artist to write a song with an environmental theme, exploring the responsibility and the future of humanity. The result: In the Anthropocene. A song about the geological age we live in, and the influence humans have over Earth’s ecosystem. We pressed a limited run on Ocean Vinyl, made up of random pieces of washed-up plastic. All proceeds from sales and streams supported Surfers Against Sewage to fund ocean protection projects.

Describe the PR strategy (30% of vote)

The cask ale category is perceived as stale with no real taste for innovation. Drinkers are turning to beers with personality. Craft beers. IPAs. Those who stand up, stand out and believe in something; a cause, a creation, a community. We needed a credible way in. The Atlantic was it. The ocean that surrounds Sharp’s brewery. As guardians of the Cornish coast, it had a responsibility to protect it. We lent into the sustainability debate and used music, the biggest passion-point of all, to deliver the message. Successfully tapping into the environmental and entertainment agenda to motivate key audiences. Recycling washed-up plastic to create a new medium provided the innovation we needed to engage media. An innovation that could carry the message and be the message, influencing popular culture. We would change attitudes through clever story placement to create a groundswell of interest from influential traditional and social media voices.

Describe the PR execution (20% of vote)

Plastic was collected from beaches across Cornwall and processed into working vinyl by a bespoke manufacturer. At launch, the track was available to stream via digital services, including Spotify and Apple Music, or purchase through Drift Records as a limited-edition, collectible piece. We created a 30-second trailer to engage media, showing the vinyl spinning on a Cornish beach before outlining the process to create it. We offered an exclusive to Sky News before rolling out to national print. The news then travelled like wildfire. Nick Mulvey, industry commentators, including Jools Holland, and outlets in TV, print, radio and online, extolled the virtues of Ocean Vinyl and the message behind it. Music and environmental influencers, including contacts of Nick Mulvey, Sharp’s and Universal Music, rallied behind the project aims and ingenious format. We held an auction for the last remaining vinyl, signed by the artist himself. Our financial target was met.

List the results (30% of vote)

Not only did we create a new track, we created a new medium with Ocean Vinyl. A protest in the form of a product and media to influence and remind people of the damage being done to our oceans. A smartly-designed solution that puts a long-term value on objects. From a disposable mindset to a love of craft and care. The same mindset that underpins Sharp’s Atlantic Beer. The vinyl sold out within three-minutes of going live with consumers globally contacting Sharp’s Brewery and Nick Mulvey to get their hands on the record. The signed copy itself raised £500 with more finding their way onto eBay. Ocean Vinyl proved a massive hit with the media. Sky News described it as a “work of art’ in a three-minute breakfast slot. The vinyl featured in all of its heavenly glory on the BBC’s flagship Jools Holland Show with Nick Mulvey performing the track. Further coverage was secured in the Evening Standard, GQ magazine, and several national print titles, generating a total reach of 24 million. Nick Mulvey himself served as a critical media channel. His posts generated a total of 7,998 comments, 1.1m video views and 33,298 Likes. Mentions of Sharp’s Atlantic on Twitter increased 41.2% during the campaign period. Entertainment truly infiltrated culture. The song was blasted out at the Extinction Rebellion global climate protest with chants of “This is our Song”. Testament to our strategic rigour and ability to influence the conversation.