Ad campaign: Gutter brain proves genius for behavior change

This was an award-nominated, behaviour-changing international advertising campaign for raising awareness of best practice in the heating industry.

The challenge

Functionality You Will Love

Product differentiation

The brand had several cleaners to choose from and customers were confused about which product they needed and how best to use them.

Competitor messaging

Competitors were attacking with messaging focused on ‘simpler’ product ranges, rather than the quality focus that we were concerned with.

Uneven sales

Sales showed a disproportionate skew towards one product, a clear indicator of the lack of understanding amongst the market.

Myths about usage on social

Bad advice and bad practice was rife in the industry’s online communities.

The solution?

A campaign which at first appears gutter-minded, but which explains the correct application and usage of each product.

Ad headlines

I contributed ad headlines and microcopy to this potentially controversial but highly successful campaign.

Social media

I was responsible for social media rollout and monitoring for the duration of the campaign.

Influencer packs

As part of the launch, I prepared and co-ordinated influencer packs to coincide with the day that the first ads would hit the public domain.

Website landing page

I was responsible for site copy, which included not only more tongue-in-cheek copy but the serious and scientific explanation behind the campaign.

The result?

The messaging caught the eyes and minds of its intended audience and educated them on the importance of cleaning heating systems.

The campaign helped them to navigate a potentially complicated product range with demonstrable and lasting changes in buying behaviour and online peer recommendation behaviour.

After a successful launch in the core UK market, the campaign was translated into several languages, and had its messaging publicly supported by major heating manufacturers.

The campaign was also shortlisted for several industry and marketing awards, but unfortunately didn't cinch a win.

[The] ‘Think Dirty’ campaign is a fun way to continue the conversation on the importance of best practice water treatment, so like the campaign suggests, think about the type of dirt in the system, choose an appropriate cleaner for the job, and follow the manufacturers’s instructions for a best practice clean

— — Director of Marketing and Technical Support at a major international heating manufacturer, quoted from industry press