The True Cost of Plastic

Plastic pollution is a global issue that requires no explanation. Sadly, Vietnam is also one of the worst five places in the world for plastic pollution - discharging more than 1.8 million tonnes of plastic waste annually. As part of its corporate social responsibility and new brand positioning, Prudential wanted people to 'Do Good' and make the people of Vietnam aware of the shocking effects of plastic pollution.
Our strategy led with a strong insight - Vietnam is one of the fastest developing countries but with one of the lowest average wages. So naturally, people here are extremely cost conscious. They value products by their price tags, and as always, plastic is often seen as the cheaper alternative. Instead of simply building awareness, we got them to act on it immediately. Prudential together with WWF, surprised people with pop-up cafes that resembled common F&B stores and helped them realise the impact of pollution in Vietnam - while they were using plastic products. We fished out coffee cups, straws, plastic bottles and everyday plastic items from the beach and displayed them in these cafes around the country. Each product featured a price tag that revealed the true cost of plastic.
We made an impact with a nation-wide activation. In less than a month, we inspired change through action and urged people to switch to eco-friendly products. The campaign generated a lot of organic PR and most importantly, encouraged people to take action and reduce plastic consumption.