BC Hydro is putting a new spin on Power Smart Month by celebrating “Offtober” this month.
It’s the Crown corporation’s first campaign from Taxi Vancouver, which was named agency of record in July.
The idea behind the month-long campaign was to deliver simple, everyday advice through a parody of a holiday. “Offtober” aims to get people to think about electricity conversation, and save energy and money by turning off lights and devices.
“Holidays are usually very consuming, whether it’s people’s attention and money… and obviously you’re turning on the lights and have a turkey in the oven,” said Matt Bielby, creative director at Taxi Vancouver. “There’s just a lot going on, so we thought, ‘wouldn’t it be cool if our holiday was all about saving power and money?’”
The campaign includes print, digital, radio, cinema and outdoor advertising. Print materials have headlines such as “Offtober: Warm wishes this season, but not over 21˚C” and “Give your monitor a holiday.” The idea is brought to life in cinemas by being the last ad shown before the house lights dim, while online digital banners fade to black. BC Hydro is also sharing energy-saving tips each day on its website and social channels.
“In the advertising sense, we wanted to stand out even more from what BC Hydro has done in the past and make people sit up and take notice,” said Bielby. “If all people remember is the name Offtober and they switched off a few more things, then we’ve won half the battle.”
Media Experts handled media planning and buying.
