Hahn
Educational and Image Campaign for tap water from “Hamburg Wasser”, the local waterworks. (New Business)
Disciplines: Campaign Development, Logo Design, Art Direction
Background
82,5% of the inhabitants of Hamburg describe the quality of their tap water as good oder very good.
But only 4% of it is used for food or drinking! Seems like everyone uses tab water, but drinking it is unpopular.
Compared to bottled water, tap water undergoes more quality tests and faces stricter restirictions. The carbon footprint is at 0,3604g CO2/l for tap water and unbelievable 211,35g CO2/l for bottled water.
Tap water costs less than 0,5 Euro cent per litre where as bottled water from a discounter (Aldi Nord) is at 13 Euro cent and the market leader “Gerolsteiner” is priced 59 Euro cent.
Bottom Line
Tap water is a high-quality and local product, eco-friendly, comes without any packaging, is always accessable and low-priced!
Looks like we have more than enough benefits worth spreading.
The perception of Hamburgs Water Quality (Survey from “Hamburg Wasser”)
Usage of Tap Water in Private Households
Pricing of Tap Water and Conventional Sparkling Water in Euro
Sources
- Hamburg Waser, GUTcert, Dr. Jan Uwe Lieback, Sabine Schumacher „CO2-Fußabdruck, Verifizierung der vorhandenen Zahlen zum Vergleich von Leitungs- und Mineralwasser“
(November 2009),
- https://de.statista.com/statistik/daten/studie/171516/umfrage/konsum-mineralwassermarken-im-letzten-monat/
The Idea
With a OoH-campaign we get people guessing about “Hamburg Wasser” and simultaneously explain the benefits of tap water. And we do it in a typical Hamburg manner:
with deadpan humour and charme. In a second step we reveal that the local waterworks are initiators.
We aim to raise general awareness, convince more Hamburgers to drink tap water and strengthen the image of the waterworks.
Logo and Artwork
“Hahn” is a colloquial expression for a faucet, and also means rooster in German, which is superb starting point for the logos design. The vivid illustration of “Hahn” is combined with the
grounded and geometric type Avenir Next. Blue tones and neutrals define the colour palette and we integrate the defined colours from “Hamburg Wasser” as well.
In terms of advertising I chose a minimal and clear design to underline the brands’ exclusivity and give the headline some space - the true star of the campaign.
Logo-Idea
Logo and Design Elements
The Campaign
1. Phase: Awareness
We kick it off with a mystery campaign introducing “Hahn”.
It claims to be a new, fancy water brand from Hamburg for sale throughout the city.
HL: Fine water from Hamburg.
hh-hahn.de
HL: The water with the best eco-balance.
Copy: To distribute a litre of our water we need 600 times less CO2 compared to conventional sparkling waters. Find out
more: hh-hahn.de
HL: We have something against plastic waste.
Copy: Our philosophy is: this water can’t be bought in plastic bottles. Find out more: hh-hahn.de
Landing Page with more information, events and testimonials (famous local chefs, musicians etc.) who support the brand.
2. Phase: The Reveal
Then, in a second step we reveal that “Hahn” isn’t a fancy water brand after all and label the ads with the “Hamburg Wasser” logo (the local waterworks).
HL: Looks like an ad for sparkling water. But it’s not.
Copy: Because you can’t buy this water in any supermarket. You already have it at home on tap. In finest quality. Strictly controlled. You can also get this
pretty bottle at: hh-hahn.de
HL: You want to bathe in it.
Copy: No problem: This water comes straight from the tap in finest quality for only 0,5 cent per litre.
Find out more: hh-hahn.de
HL: What’s up?
Map with distribution of OoH in the city centre
The billboards are customised to fit the location and audience. Placed in the nightlife district the headlines use youth slang, when close to an orthopedist the poster addresses back pains from carrying heavy crates of bottled water.
The Take Away
The campaign was developed with enthusiasm and passion because we believe it will significantly reduce plastic waste. However, "Hamburg Wasser" has not yet taken the bait, but it’s a case I love to share.
