More than 500.000 people in Germany are living below the poverty line – and that number is rising. Many of them are too embarrassed to claim benefits or simply don’t know how to go about it. So instead, they gather a little money to cover their most urgent needs by collecting empty bottles with refundable deposits that have been carelessly thrown away.How can we approach these people in need and make them aware of the help offered by the Frankfurt Food Bank without offending their pride and their human dignity?Conventional advertising is out of place here. This is why the Frankfurt Food Bank uses deposit bottle collection to convey its message. Throughout the city it distributes specially prepared bottles, which at first glance look like real deposit bottles.Anyone who pulls out one of these “messages in a bottle” and looks closer will see that one can receive a food bag in exchange for the bottle from any of the numerous Food Bank distribution centres in Frankfurt.The German name for the Food Bank is “Tafel”. All bottles are labelled “Tafelwasser” which means “table water” as well as “water from the Food Bank”.

Half a million people in Germany are already being provided with the most basic necessities by the Food Banks. Thanks to the “message in a bottle” campaign, there will be even more in future.The response to the promotin: Many reports on local and regional TV channels, radio, online and in the printed press.

The results: A wide public awareness of the “message in a bottle” campaign and a Food Bank that is now able to help even more people in need.And: this simple Ambient Media idea didn't cost one single cent!