Cohn & Wolfe for Tom’s of Maine – The #LessWasteChallenge

Earth Month has become a sea of reusable tote bag offers and special flash-in-the-pan promotions, but this year, natural personal care pioneer Tom’s of Maine wanted to stand out—and reinforce that it stands for taking care of the earth every day.

This social media-first campaign tapped into the power of influencers and offered practical content that people can use in their everyday lives. Cohn & Wolfe/Tom’s of Maine wanted the huge problem of waste to feel accessible to the masses, including children—where every person’s pledge matters and can actually make the world a little better.

To generate an initial burst of exposure for the #LessWasteChallenge, the team partnered with well-known mom and influencer Kristin Cavallari to take the first pledge and share her family’s recycling efforts with her Facebook fans. Leveraging Tom’s of Maine partner TerraCycle, a company known for managing hard-to-recycle waste, the team also developed a video series on child-friendly activities around recycling. The videos focused on minor lifestyle changes that make a big impact like reducing paper mail, as well as DIY projects upcycling everyday products, like turning a mouthwash bottle into a bird feeder. The videos were shared with all of the campaign's influencers for inspiration and were pushed out through owned social channels.

To share the pledge with consumers in key markets, four eco-focused parenting bloggers in four different regions were recruited to take the #LessWasteChallenge pledge themselves, while also involving their families and communities in finding easy ways to reduce waste. Posts featured shareable ideas like starting a neighborhood recycling program, hosting an upcycling party and setting up recycling bins in local parks.

The #LessWasteChallenge resulted in Americans pledging to prevent over 170,000 pounds of waste from going to landfills.

Honorable Mentions:

• Hilton - Department of Energy SWAP Program
• JetBlue - Business Social Environmental Responsibility Report
• JetBlue - Leadership in Sustainability
• The Metropolitan Water District - Leaders in Environmental Stewardship: Outreach Campaign
• Rainier Brewing Company - Rainier Beer Gives Back and Taps Heritage with Tabs for Trees
• Verde Brand Communications for KEEN Footwear - Live Monumental Campaign