Creating controversy to drive behavior change
Seeds of Change: Save the Flavors
Challenge
Seeds of Change needed people to plant endangered fruit and vegetable varieties. We're losing about 100 per year. But unlike endangered animals, nobody rallies to save endangered produce. How do you make people care about vegetables the way they care about pandas?
Big Idea
We partnered with celebrity chef Hugh Acheson to announce a tasting menu featuring "endangered species" — and let the public's imagination run wild. PETA showed up to protest. Twitter erupted. Then we revealed the truth: it's endangered fruits and vegetables. Directed all the outrage to a site where people could actually do something about it.
Results
200,000+ sign-ups to plant endangered seeds
$200K budget = 85M national impressions (campaign only targeted Atlanta Metro)
200+ media outlets picked up the story
Awards: Effie Bronze, ADDY Gold + 2 Silver, FAB Gold, D&AD "Good" Campaign of the Month
Stunt Explanation
SaveTheFlavors.com people learned to:
• KNOW IT — See our research findings
• GROW IT — Buy seeds & get advice to cultivate a wide variety of edible plants
• EAT IT — get recipes that use Seeds of Change rice & grains — because growing, cooking, and eating endangered fruits & veggies is the best way people can help save it
Hero Video On Landing Page
Outlined the problem and solution to saving endangered fruits and vegetables.
We partnered with Tufts University’s Food Systems Research Institution, and helped develop a Flavor Availability Index — the first and only tracker of people's access to fruits and vegetables (with an emphasis on endangered or rare varieties).
