Title	PLADDLING
Brand	CARLSBERG
Product/Service	NON ALCOHOLIC BEER
Category	E01. Corporate Image, Communication & Reputation Management
Entrant	CARLSBERG SVERIGE AB Falkenberg, SWEDEN
Idea Creation	BCW Stockholm, SWEDEN
PR	BCW Stockholm, SWEDEN
Production	BCW Stockholm, SWEDEN
Post Production	BCW Stockholm, SWEDEN

Name	Company	Position
Axel Bringel	BCW	Creative Director
Jonas Eriksson	BCW	Account Manager
Niklas Adamsson	BCW	Account Supervisor
Sofia Skogquist	BCW	Art Director
Frida Söderberg	BCW	Graphic Designer
Vera Hökstrand	BCW	Account Executive

Why is this work relevant for PR?

This work was designed with PR and earned at its core, from start to finish. From brief, to insights and idea creation, implementation and results. With a minimal media budget - the creative concept in combination with PR work and media relations was the main driver (75%) in achieving the goals of this campaign in terms of awareness, as it generated tons of attention in the country’s largest news outlets.

Background

In the summer of 2017, Carlsberg Sweden launched the sustainability program Together Towards Zero, with the aim of being a part of the solution to global challenges such as climate change, water scarcity, and plastic in our seas and lakes. Since then, Carlsberg Sweden has worked purposefully with everything from reducing plastic in packaging to reducing energy and water consumption at the brewery. However, a company’s sustainability work is often hard to understand and communicate. Therefore, the brief was to develop an idea (our own) to clarify Carlsberg Sweden’s sustainability work and promise. The primary goal was to create awareness for Carlsberg Sweden’s sustainability work, mainly through earned media. In addition, the campaign ought to help increase sales of Carlsberg Alcohol Free.

Describe the creative idea (20% of vote)

Large-scale environmental goals and figures in sustainability reports can sometimes be difficult to relate to, so we had to make it clear and accessible. Cleaner water is one of Carlsberg Sweden’s core missions. Sweden is surrounded by water; it is bordered by the Gulf of Bothnia and the Baltic Sea and has over 100,000 lakes. Therefore, boat sports, including sailing and kayaking are very popular. From this insight the idea “Pladdling” was developed. “Pladdling” – to paddle and pick up trash to improve the environmental status of our waters and recycle the plastic that is collected. By launching Pladdling as a new popular movement, Carlsberg Sweden could make a real difference and take on a more environmentally sound and responsible position. Pladdling alludes to the Swedish phenomenon “Plogging” – to jog and pick up trash from the ground, which has become very popular during recent years.

Describe the PR strategy (30% of vote)

The strategy was based on the following insight: - Many Swedes would vacation at home due to COVID-19. - Paddling is already very popular in Sweden. - “Plogging” (jogging and picking up trash) is a well-known concept. Key Message: #Pladdling: Paddle and pick up trash to improve the environmental status of our Swedish waters. In earned media, we wanted to reach the general public – men and women between the ages of 18 and 65. On social media, the target audience was men and women aged 20-45, interested in topics such as ‘Water pollution’, ‘Outdoor recreation’, ‘Sustainability’, ‘Kayaking’, and ‘Paddleboarding’. We collaborated with GreenKayak to borrow kayaks in exchange for picking up trash. The kayaks and the trash bins were branded with #Pladdling and Carlsberg. We also produced: • A copy platform • Films for social media use • Press photos • SoMe posts • A press release

Describe the PR execution (20% of vote)

Pladdling was carried out between June 30th and September 30th in four Swedish cities (Stockholm, Gothenburg, Malmö and Jönköping), where Carlsberg Sweden in collaboration with GreenKayak, lent out kayaks for free in exchange for picking up trash. When the concept was launched in each city, local media was informed, and communication aimed towards the target audience was carried out. The campaign was also communicated to national media.

List the results (30% of vote)

The concept of Pladdling proved to be a stroke of genius. During the summer of 2020 Pladdling became a movement in Sweden and it generated tons of attention in the country’s largest news outlets. And with a minimal budget, 8,936,93 Euro, Pladdling spread like wildfire on social media. As many as 70 major news articles were published on Carlsberg Sweden’s Pladdling initiative, and Sweden’s largest news television program reported on it. This generated an earned media reach of 11 million. The German national television network ARD also talked about the Swedish Pladdling. Carlsberg Sweden's communication on social media generated 3,625,000 impressions. Another 1,000,000 were reached on social media when Pladdling Swedes spread the trend using #Pladdling. But most importantly: • 3,394,61 kg of trash was collected from the water (all collected trash was weighed) • 1,795 people tried Pladdling at Carlsberg Sweden’s Pladdling stations • These people spent a total of 3,590 hours Pladdling and picking up trash from our waters. In addition, the sales of Carlsberg Alcohol Free increased by 30 percent and its market share grew by 3.9 percent during the campaign period compared with the same period in 2019.