DDB wins pitch to help save power

By IRENE CHAPPLE

As the power crisis looms, several million dollars have been pumped into an advertising campaign that features sports celebrities giving advice on how to save electricity.

The Winter Power Taskforce, a group of power suppliers and users formed to respond to the crisis, has set a 10 per cent savings target.

Advertising agency DDB yesterday said it had won the pitch for a promotional campaign.

DDB won the six-week project, which starts on Saturday, over Colenso BBDO and Saatchi & Saatchi.

The campaign, which features Barbara Kendall and Marc Ellis, among others, will use television, print media, and radio advertising. There will also be direct mailouts and online advertising.

In 2001, a similar tactic was tried to save power, but that campaign was not introduced until mid-year.

This campaign was pulled together in a rush, with the agencies given three working days to prepare their pitch and 20 minutes to present.

The tight timeframe, according to a taskforce spokesperson, was due to the need to rapidly increase electricity savings.

Research also showed that while consumers were willing to save electricity, the practical ways of doing so were not so obvious.