Co-op, like all supermarkets, is a massive contributor when it comes to soft plastics. Whether it’s cling film or crisp packets, these things are necessary but notoriously difficult to recycle.

Co-op wanted to put a stop to that and set about launching a new soft plastic recycling scheme, rolled out across over two thousand stores up and down the UK. The biggest rollout of its kind. Crisp packets, bread bags, single use carrier bags and bags for life, yoghurt pots, biscuit wrappers and pet food pouches. All of this, once destined for landfill, could now be recycled just around the corner at your local Co-op. Our objectives were twofold, make Co-op’s scheme famous and then get people bringing their soft plastics to our stores for recycling.

We wanted to reach a mass audience of people that might do their top-up shop at their local Co-op but would do their big shop elsewhere. Every single one of our OOH sites was bought in close proximity (sometimes as close as one metre away) to a competitor. The plan was to get people thinking about Co-op’s plastics recycling scheme just as they were about to enter or leave one of our competitors.

Our super targeted OOH sites were emblazoned with a message that said ‘It doesn’t matter where you shop, we’ll still recycle your soft plastics. Each one was designed with a cheeky nod to the competitor store that was nearest, so our audience were left in little doubt as to which supermarket we were talking about.

In order to ensure that the creative had the maximum impact we carefully selected over 600 out of home panels nationally and used geographical data to assign each site the creative execution that referred to the competitor store that was nearest to it - in some cases as close as 1 metre away from the store.

The campaign was a record success for a Co-op campaign with the reach up 390% and engagement up 120% compared to the average performance for Co-op content on social channels. On top of this, soft plastics was a trending conversation on social media for every single day that the campaign was live.

The campaign encouraged 14,000 co-op members to visit the online platform to learn more about soft plastic recycling at their local Co-op. In fact, members took to the recycling scheme with such enthusiasm that a third of Co-op stores involved in the scheme were required to empty their recycling units daily due to the demand.

The campaign also received praise and recognition in national press, and most importantly of all, contributed to a total reduction of 1,438 tonnes of plastic outside of Co-op’s own produce, as when it comes to doing good, everyone’s welcome at Co-op.