The Challenge

In the evolving landscape of environmental consciousness, SSE Airtricity, a leader in green energy, sought to strengthen its brand connection by educating the next generation on sustainability and raising awareness for its partnership with Dublin Zoo. 

Recognising the need for an innovative approach to engage young families, SSE Airtricity tasked Edelman with developing a captivating educational initiative. The brief demanded a creative solution that would not only inform but also inspire sustainable behaviours among children, making the message of eco-friendliness both accessible and engaging. 

The challenge lay in crafting a campaign that stood out in the saturated space of environmental education, requiring a fresh and interactive communication style that resonated with a younger audience. 

Our objective was clear: to create an unforgettable experience that would leave a lasting impact on families, driving both brand awareness for SSE Airtricity and fostering a deeper, actionable commitment to environmental stewardship among the public.

The Strategy

To address SSE Airtricity's brief of engaging young families in sustainability, our strategy honed in on young children through digital storytelling and interactive experiences. Leveraging YouTube's broad reach, we introduced Pookie, an animated character designed to simplify and animate the principles of sustainability. 

This approach was complemented by a real-world activation at Dublin Zoo, where families could engage directly with Pookie, blending online engagement with tangible experiences. 

This dual approach—digital for reach and physical for depth—perfectly aligned with the client's objective, making sustainability both accessible and engaging for our target demographic. The creation of Pookie and the integration of a live event effectively bridged the gap between digital content and real-life interaction, significantly enhancing SSE Airtricity's brand awareness while instilling a commitment to environmental stewardship in young minds.

The Outcome

The Pookie campaign for SSE Airtricity achieved remarkable outcomes, illustrating the power of creative storytelling in environmental education: 

- Enhanced brand awareness for SSE Airtricity, positioning it as a leader in sustainability education. 

- Significant digital engagement, with the Pookie YouTube series amassing millions of views, extending the campaign’s reach beyond the event at Dublin Zoo. 

- The integration of digital content with the live zoo event fostered a unique educational experience, leading to a notable increase in engagement and interaction among young families. 

- Feedback from participants indicated a positive shift towards more sustainable behaviours, highlighting the campaign's success in inspiring actionable change. 

- The campaign’s innovative approach to eco-education set a new benchmark for sustainability initiatives, demonstrating the potential for creative content to drive both brand engagement and social impact.