JBL is acting on a sustainable front. The brand has reduced the use of plastic significantly and is using more eco-friendly materials. But that's all behind the scenes. We wanted to do something for the world to participate in. An idea that serves as a platform for artists to step up and get noticed. That's how Rap Your Gift was born. Since wrapping paper production contributes to almost 5% of the Amazon forest being destroyed, this idea introduces a new way of wrapping your gift. Now, the world can do away with wrapping paper and choose rapping.

JBL believes in the power of music and audio to influence culture, overcome environmental and social issues and create positive change. The brand’s purpose is to make people stand up and listen to what’s going on around them. Be it in an individualistic manner. Or even in a larger societal and environmental manner. The brand’s line of ‘Dare to Listen’ is a testament to the promise. And potential of what an audio brand can stand for. We wanted an idea that brings this belief to life while helping to shape a better world.

People love music. People also love their birthdays. So while the world is home to 8 billion people. That means 8 billion birthdays. And that means, approximately 4 billion trees being culled for wrapping paper. You don’t need to be a math genius to realize the cost of this to our planet. On World Earth Month (April) we decided this was the perfect time to start a conversation around this rather untouched and unheard topic of gift wrapping paper substitution with rapping and the world for music. We tapped into a community of rappers to come up with beats that don’t just show love to people but also the environment.

World Earth Month (April) is a month-long affair aimed at drawing attention to the problems that plague the environment. But over the years, there are a lot of PSA done, however, Rap Your Gift is a more fun way to address the same issue. We launched a website which allowed people to choose a more sustainable way of gifting their loved ones. Visitors can choose a rap from one of our artists, pick a digital wrapping paper for their gift, and send it over to their loved ones. This customisation mechanism didn’t just create buzz and chatter, it also helped reduce the use of physical wrapping paper - which is the bane for the environment.

Although on the surface this idea appears to seemingly be just a website. Underneath it’s a carefully constructed and strategic data play. With a cast of artists, or rather seven unique rappers with unique tunes, all conceptualized from a wealth of data distinct to their genre. Each artist also came up with unique tunes for people - ranging from dads and moms to partners and friends. We brought the campaign to life on World Earth month with assets on digital and social pages of JBL.

The project's page immediately garnered a lot of attention and became a talking point. It was picked up on publications and trade journals world over. Without spending a penny on media, in less than 10 days we've seen a gain of around $32M in earned media. More than 60,000 raps were gifted, saving around 2 tons of paper. Brand engagement has always increased 42% in this period.

The amount of raps gifted increases every day, so you can go and check the counter ‘real time’ for the numbers of raps gifted and the equivalent number of trees we’ve saved in the process.