COOP, retail leader in Italy, sells sustainable products, produces eco-friendly packaging and uses renewable energy in its stores.

So when it came to communicating its message, the company wanted to create a low impact campaign.

For the first time, a radio commercial was produced without generating Co2, by connecting a special bicycle to a dynamo that generated the electricity needed to record and edit it.

The radio was not only the media, but became the message itself and it showed the target that Coop’s commitment in protecting the environment is effective.Marco Ligabue is the lead singer of a very famous band that has always been environmentally conscientious.

The idea was to create a commercial without polluting. To deliver this message we decided to use radio, a traditional albeit very representative media for Coop, in an innovative and disruptive way. The radio ad was recorded in an organically built studio located in the open country. A bicycle connected to a dynamo generated all the electricity needed to record and edit the commercial. In order to give relevance to the project, we chose Marco Ligabue of Rio, the lead singer of a very popular band that has always been attentive to the environment, as speaker and cyclist.The whole operation was filmed, and the making of video has been shown on different platforms. So, basically, the radio ad was not only heard but “seen” as well.

Despite a low radio media investment the viral strength of the ad allowed for massive coverage. On air on Radio 105, Virgin Radio and Radio Montecarlo (Finelco Group), the project generated approximately 350,000.00 € worth of earned media. MTV dedicated a special reportage to the operation. Furthermore, a special event was created duringRio’s Milan concert: some bicycles were brought on stage and fans could pedal and give energy to the band’s equipment. The operation has strongly contributed to the perception of Coop’s effort towards the environment, registering a 2% increase in the days that followed the Eco Radio campaign.