Campaign about air pollution in Copenhagen
Reference: Copenhagen Municipality
How do you inform citizens about the increasing danger of pollution without it becoming “fearmongering”? By arousing curiosity through a powerful message that makes seeking further information desirable.
Viegand Maagøe has executed a campaign and a complementary website for the municipality of Copenhagen.
How we completed the assignment
The Copenhagen Health and Care Administration wished for more attention about the sad fact that the air in Copenhagen is so polluted that it causes health implications which i.a. are to blame for approximately 460 copenhageners dying too soon.
That is what they wanted to be conveyed in a campaign with a complementary website.
Unfortunately, it turned out that an even greater health risk hit Denmark in 2020; that being COVID-19. Therefore, we changed the campaign from being a physical event to a range of digital messages that were conveyed in social media and features in the press.
Viegand Maagøe developed the campaign in close partnership with The Copenhagen Health and Care Administration.
Viegand Maagøe was responsible for:
- Campaign site with all the campaign’s messages and content in one place
- Graphic development of an informative, consistent and friendly look
- Quiz about the health implications from pollution
- Survey about the copenhageners’ knowledge and opinions about pollution which were used to create the messages for the press stories
- Stories in the press in relations initiating the campaign and during the campaign
- Intensive effort on Facebook and Instagram with messages and posts – some targeted all copenhageners and some targeted especially vulnerable groups
- City posters – posters about the campaign’s messages which were put up in 120 different locations in Copenhagen
- The involvement of relevant actors and stakeholders such as patient unions
Messages
The campaign talked about air pollution focusing on three main points:
- Problem
There is air pollution in Copenhagen. It is a central goal to convey that there is air pollution in Copenhagen. The greatest local sources to air pollution come from furnaces and traffic respectively. - Consequences
Air pollution carries health implications. The air pollution is to blame for 460 people dying too soon each year in Copenhagen. Besides, air pollution causes different diseases or worsen existing ones. The main message is that air pollution is dangerous to people’s health. - Solution
We can do something to minimize air pollution and our own exposure to it. The air pollution is reduced if the amount of traffic is lowered, and if we stop using furnaces. The individual copenhagener can minimize their own exposure to air pollution by avoiding main roads when they ride their bike or walk during rush hours.
Reference: Copenhagen Municipality
Contract period: 2020
Results
The campaign lived primarily on social media and as stories in the press. 412.601 people has become acquainted with the messages on Facebook and Instagram, and there was seen great engagement in forms of Facebook-debates, comments and sharing of posts.
It was especially the many critical posts on Facebook which brought the campaign to life. It was here the municipality of Copenhagen got the chance to discuss air quality with the citizens and present them complicated facts that otherwise would be left out in another communications campaign.
The campaign site got over 6000 visitors and the quiz was completed by 1300 users.
The city posters were eye catching in the cityscape and especially if they were observed from bicycle, bus or car they conveyed the campaign’s messages nicely and that they were connected to the posts found on social media.
What do you know about health and air pollution?
6 questions about air pollution test the copenhageners’ knowledge the implications of air pollution. The test result in the end gives some good advice to avoid exposure and minimize air pollution.
