Pioneering Skincare brand UpCircle launches First TV Campaign through Sky’s Footprint Fund!

Sky Media, the advertising arm of Sky, has announced that UpCircle, the pioneering UK-based sustainable skincare brand, is to launch its first-ever TV campaign. This milestone follows UpCircle winning £250,000 of media as part of the 2023 Sky Zero Footprint Fund, a £2 million initiative amplifying brands that are making a positive impact on the planet.

The win has provided UpCircle an incredible opportunity to showcase its innovative approach to beauty, which centres on repurposing by-products from other industries, such as coffee grounds and fruit stones, into high-quality skincare products. This approach not only reduces waste but also challenges the conventional beauty industry to rethink its practices.

Sarah Jones, Director of Planning at Sky Media, added: “The Sky Zero Footprint Fund recognises businesses that are actively working to reduce their carbon footprint and inspire others to do the same. UpCircle Beauty’s commitment to sustainability, circular economy principles, and ethical production was a perfect match for the fund’s mission.”

The creative tells the story of two of UpCircle’s best-sellers, made with their most famous upcycled ingredient, coffee. The unique journey of the product is shown entirely in reverse – starting with application to skin, then the process of it being manufactured, then the coffee being collected and finally the cup of coffee being made. UpCircle is a brand with authenticity at its core, so casting a genuine customer as lead talent cements the brands ethos. The ad also features members of their own team for true authenticity, collecting coffee from a coffee shop where they do collect granules for their products. UpCircle’s creative was crafted and produced in partnership with Toast and follows best practice advice and recommendations from the Advertising Association’s AdGreen programme.

Anna Brightman, Co-Founder at UpCircle, said: “There is no beauty brand doing more than we are, and there are few industries as wasteful as ours. The authenticity and sincerity of this campaign is true to our brand, one thing Sky were big fans of. We wanted to immediately engage with our audience, how do we do that? By using one of our very own customers as our lead talent! We’ve been patiently waiting for the right time to air our ad and at long last that time has come. We are so excited to share it with the world and to see it on screens during peak season. We are very grateful that Sky has recognised us as a changemaker and offered us this opportunity to have an immense positive impact. This means so much to every one of us at UpCircle.”
The campaign will air across Sky Media channels from the 15th of September, using Sky’s data to target relevant audiences, channels and content to optimise web visits, sign-up and purchases.

Think your organisation could be a winner in the Footprint Fund 2024? Click here to register your interest in hearing more about Footprint Fund 2024 ahead of the launch.

Sky Media launches ‘Footprint Fund’ spin-off to support sustainable SMEs

Sky is looking for the nation’s help to uncover and reward regional businesses that are committed to a more sustainable future as it launches the Sky Zero Footprint Fund ‘Local Heroes’ initiative. 

Sky Media, has announced that its award-winning Sky Zero Footprint Fund is launching an additional initiative dedicated to SME and local businesses called ‘Local Heroes’.

Launched in 2021, The Sky Zero Footprint Fund initiative was created to inspire positive behaviour change and help start-ups and established brands accelerate their sustainable initiatives nationally, using the power of TV.

The new fund brings the same promise to local and regional businesses. The ‘Sky Zero Footprint Fund Local Heroes’ will be awarding nine businesses from different regions of the UK and the Republic of Ireland £20,000/ €20,000 of media value to spend on a TV campaign as well as up to £2,500/€2,500 towards ad creation from a local production agency.

’The Local Heroes’ will be selected through a combination of public vote and a local judging. Aimed at any SME (shop, restaurant, service, charity, visitor attraction etc.), it will be up to the community to vote for their favourite local business into the top 10 in their area. Applicants that fall within the top 10 in their region, will progress to the final round where winners for each of the nine regions will be selected securing the TV creative and airtime.

David Sanderson, Director of AdSmart Local and Development said, “Businesses of all shapes and sizes around the UK are making real change in the fight against climate change. We want to reward those businesses by giving them access to grow their business and spread their sustainable message. AdSmart from Sky is the perfect platform to do that, in a focused and targeted way for regional businesses, and has already helped thousands of businesses get on TV for the first time.”

Applications open from the 3^rd July and will close on the 29^th October. For full details and to find out how to apply for the ‘Sky Zero Footprint Fund: Local Heroes’, www.adsmartfromsky.co.uk/local-heroes.

Sky was the first media company globally to go carbon neutral in 2006 and since then has continued to use its platforms and content to encourage sustainable behaviours for a better planet.

To find out more about the original Sky Zero Footprint Fund, visit www.skymedia.co.uk/skyzerofootprintfund.

Ocean Bottle Makes Waves with First TV Ad Campaign

The social impact brand turning the tide on ocean-bound plastic makes its TV debut as a 2023 Sky Zero Footprint Fund finalist

Sky Media, the advertising arm of Sky, has today announced that 2023 Sky Zero Footprint Fund finalist, Ocean Bottle, is making its TV debut supporting its mission to save our ocean. The new campaign tells us that by 2050, plastic is expected to outweigh all fish in the ocean, and now, more than ever, it’s time for change.

Ocean Bottle impressed judges last year with its sustainability credentials and potential impact, securing £250,000 in media value for its national TV campaign. Each Ocean Bottle funds the collection of 1000 plastic bottles in weight. Collectors exchange plastic for money and get access to social resources such as healthcare, education and financial security. So far, Ocean Bottle has collected 14,164,500 kilograms of plastic via its partners: grassroots organisations in coastal communities in countries such as Indonesia, India and Ghana – the equivalent to 1 billion plastic bottles in weight.

Ocean Bottle’s TV campaign will air across a mix of Sky Media’s Linear and Video On Demand (VOD) platforms. The campaign will use Sky Media’s Performance Solution team to optimise delivery in real-time to maximise response. The VOD activity aims to drive brand awareness through the ‘Must See VOD’ package, featuring a wide range of Sky’s premium content. The first wave of the campaign will run until 11th July 2024 and marks the brand’s TV debut.

The 30” advert aims to spread the Ocean Bottle message and connect viewers to the plastic-pollution crisis by depicting a strange yet dystopian world where plastic replaces fish. Scenes show a girl winning a plastic bottle in a bag of water at the funfair, a woman picking which plastic bottle she’d like at the fish counter in a supermarket, and a man serving a battered plastic bottle at the fish and chip shop. The campaign’s message is clear: Buy 1, Rescue 1,000 – with an Ocean Bottle anyone can directly contribute to protecting the health of our ocean.

The creative was crafted and produced in partnership with Hatch London and follows best practice advice and recommendations from the Advertising Association’s AdGreen programme.

Will Pearson, CEO and Co-Founder at Ocean Bottle said: “Ocean Bottle was created to give people an easy way to contribute, have an impact, and make a difference when it comes to protecting our ocean. We’re so proud to be one of Sky Zero’s Footprint Fund finalists to spread this message further and empower more individuals to drive positive change. With Sky Zero’s backing, we’ve been able to create a truly impactful campaign that we hope will get even more people hydrated while helping the ocean at the same time.”

Mark Gibson, Managing Director at Hatch London, commented: “Ocean Bottle and Sky are at the very forefront of companies making a real difference towards Net Zero. We’re honoured that the collective team at Hatch has been chosen as the creative partner for the campaign. We look forward to continuing the journey with these outstanding clients.”

Sarah Jones, Director of Planning at Sky Media, added: “The Footprint Fund celebrates brands that make sustainability accessible and impactful. Ocean Bottle’s innovative and thought-provoking campaign does just that. We are thrilled to help bring this creative vision to life and anticipate it will inspire significant positive change in consumer behaviour towards reusable products.”

OceanSaver Launch Brand Building Campaign: The Ocean Will Thank You

OceanSaver® is to make its TV debut helping its mission to save Ocean life from the plastic pollution and the harmful chemicals in 28 billion single-use plastic cleaning products created every year. OceanSaver provides plastic-free, plant-based Laundry, Cleaning Sprays, and Dishwashing products that clean like the leading brands without harming Ocean life.

OceanSaver were one of 5 winners of the Sky Zero Footprint Fund, which awarded the small team £250,000 worth of TV media across Sky Media’s portfolio of TV channels. OceanSaver’s campaign idea “The Ocean Will Thank You” is a fun and radically positive way to encourage people to make an easy everyday switch to save our Ocean. The wider campaign launched on Earth Day, 22nd April 2024 across OOH, social and in store activities with the TV advert kicking in today. Aiming to inspire a reconnection with the waters that surround us introduces the nation’s new favourite crabs Bluey, Lil’ Hermit, Fiddler and Hairy Harry, along with the OceanSaver jingle, sung by the incredible Bristolian sea shanty group, The Longest Johns.

OceanSaver’s first ever TV campaign, introduces the nation to a new brand platform, “The Ocean will Thank You”, and a new set of brand mascots, the singing crabs, all created by Hearts & Minds. The film features a quartet of crabs, surprising a man named Gareth as he puts his washing on using an ocean-friendly laundry capsule. The crabs burst into a sea shanty to thank him for his efforts. The TV spot was written by Andy George and Jonathan Thake, and directed by the award-winning Jake Mavity, of Rogue Films. The ads were produced using AdGreen standards, with minimal carbon usage, all of which was triple offset.

Andy George, Founder of Hearts and Minds, says, “This category, and eco comms in general, so often deploy shock tactics or shame as a way to influence people’s purchases. Which just isn’t very effective. So, we’re very grateful to have found a partner in OceanSaver who share our belief in the power of positivity, entertainment, and a simple thank you, to get to Britain buying better for the Ocean and for the planet.”

OceanSaver’s new crab creations are set to become the meerkats of the Ocean, and the team is excited for the nation to fall in love with them. OceanSaver will also put their crab characters on all owned assets, so the more famous they are, the more recognisable the brand will be, and the greater the impact they’ll be able to make on Ocean health.

As part of the brand building from launch on Earth Day, OceanSaver will buy ad space via AdSmart from Sky and Video on Demand, targeting the top 20% of the most environmentally engaged households, using location-based targeting (obtained via DTC and Tesco sales data). The advert will reach 630,000 households every week, creating an excellent uplift in brand awareness bolstered by location targeted YouTube and Meta ads.

Adam Parker, Re-Founder and Marketing Director at OceanSaver says, “We need to save the Ocean, so the Ocean can save us. We’re crabsolutely delighted to partner with Sky and the Longest Johns to take our positive message to millions. Now anyone can switch from plastic and harmful chemicals – the Ocean will thank you. These are simple switches that can create impact for generations.”

Sarah Jones, Director of Planning, Sky Media, added: “OceanSaver’s advert shares a really important message – small changes make a huge difference. Something that is crucial to Sky Media’s mission in tackling the climate crisis. The Sky Zero Footprint Fund celebrates brands that make sustainable swaps easy and enticing. OceanSaver delivered exactly this in their humorous, creative campaign. We’re really excited to get this creative live and see the huge impact it is going to have on the cleaning products market.”

OceanSaver will also be looking to their community to make the most of this pivotal opportunity in the challenger brand’s journey, encouraging maximum organic sharing and viewing of the ad on YouTube by incentivising sharing, for every share, they will donate the cost of an oyster to their partners Blue Marine Foundation, creating restorative new oyster reefs in the Solent (up to a value of £5000); OceanSaver will also partner with TikTok creators to re-share and riff on the ad.

Pawsitively Exciting Developments for Grub Club with TV and Retail Deals

The insect protein pet food brand launches its first-ever TV advert using its prize media value from the 2023 Sky Zero Footprint Fund

Today, Sky Media announces that the 2023 Sky Zero Footprint Fund Grand Prix winner, Grub Club, will make its TV debut using its £1 million media value prize fund.

After thorough deliberation, Grub Club, which produces insect-based dog food, was selected as the overall Sky Zero Footprint Fund winner last December. The brand was praised for its ability to shake up the pet food industry, its bold creative idea, and because it’s a simple sustainable swap that anyone can make.

This news of Grub Club’s TV launch comes shortly after the brand recently announced its retail expansion plans with the UK’s largest pet retailer, Pets at Home. This deal will see its range of treats and dental sticks stocked in 460 stores nationwide and online.

Supercharging the retail opportunity, Grub Club’s TV campaign is powered by Sky Media’s Performance Solutions and One Campaign measurement, airing across a mix of linear and VOD channels. In addition, the campaign will refine its target to pet owners, based on web search behaviour and Pet’s At Home’s postcode data to optimise the brand’s new retail deal.

The ad, used the brand’s pet mascot Stephen, to display human’s fears and anxieties about climate change from the perspective of a dog. The creative, which is available to view above, was crafted and produced in partnership with Small World Collective and Nusa Films, and follows best practice advice and recommendations from the Advertising Association’s AdGreen programme.

Alessandro Di Trapani, Co-Founder at Grub Club Pets, said: ”We’re delighted to launch our first ever TV ad with Sky Media. The Sky Zero Footprint Fund has given us an incredible opportunity to drive mass reach and build this exciting new category of pet food. We hope that it sparks more conversation about the role insects can play, not just in feeding our pets, but also in helping us fix our global food systems for future generations to come.”

Sarah Jones, Director of Planning, Sky Media, added: “We’re excited for Grub Club’s advert to make it’s TV debut. Grub Club is disrupting the pet food market, and we feel privileged to be part of their journey in spreading the knowledge of their products. Personally, I can’t wait to see the impact this will have on their business and the sector in general.”

Stop what you’re chewing, Milliways is making its TV debut

The plant-based, plastic-free chewing gum brand launches its first-ever TV advert using its prize media value from the 2023 Sky Zero Footprint Fund

Sky Media has announced that the 2023 Sky Zero Footprint Fund finalist, Milliways, has unveiled its winning advert, marking the brand’s TV debut. The campaign will run from today until the 21^st of April.

Ever wondered what it’s like to chew your dog’s favourite toy or fancied a bite of your office water cooler? These are just some of the absurd scenarios featured in Milliways new ad.

The leading plastic-free, plant-based and biodegradable chewing gum brand won £250,000 media value as a finalist in the 2023 Sky Zero Footprint Fund, which will be used to amplify their message via their new ad to millions across the UK.

The disruptor brand’s creative concept made it to the Sky Zero Footprint Fund’s final five, where Milliways unveiled its 30” TV advert to Sky Media’s panel of judges at the Fund’s Showcase event in December 2023.

Styled in the brand’s bold visual language, the creative uses confusion and intrigue to shine a light on the hidden plastic in big-brand gum. It aims to educate the 85% of people that don’t realise they’re chewing the same plastic found in plastic straws, plastic bags and plastic bottles.

The ad was shot by award-winning directors and producers, including Talya Galasko, Mercy TV and Hatch London, and follows best practice advice and recommendations from the Advertising Association’s AdGreen programme.

The TV campaign will be aired across a mix of channels and programming using Sky Media’s One Campaign Addressable and Dunhumby data to target category buyers.

Tom Raviv, Founder at Milliways, said: “Milliways’ mission is to make great tasting, plastic-free chewing gum that delivers sustainable quality without compromise for the planet. This requires enormous effort when most consumers don’t know that big brands use plastic ingredients in their chewing gum. Not to mention the artificial additives and ingredients that go into their recipes too. The sad reality is that billions of pieces of gum are chewed every year, and the vast majority of it is made with single-use plastic that isn’t recyclable and never biodegrades.

“With Sky Media’s reach and Milliways’ planet-friendly products, we’re ready to create a sustainable mass change in behaviour by informing consumers in a way that raises a smile at the same time.”

Director, Talya Galasko, said: “This is the third campaign and first TV ad I’ve shot for Milliways. It’s been so exciting developing a distinct tone and visual language with the brand, and seeing that come to life on TV screens across the country. It’s undeniably fun and eye-catching, and gets across a serious message in an approachable away.”

Here are some insights that inform Milliways’ mission and show the impact their product could have:

• The vast majority of big brand chewing gum is made from single-use plastic (up to one plastic straw per piece[1]) that never biodegrades.
• 374 billion pieces of gum are chewed every year[2], which equates to 3.8million km² (almost enough to cover the entire EU in gum)!
• Yet, 85% of people don’t realise they’re chewing the same plastic used in the production of plastic straws, plastic bags and plastic bottles[3].
• While you chew on that… let us share another (not-so-fun) fact… Chewing gum is the second most littered item on the PLANET after cigarettes[4]! 80-90% of gum isn’t disposed properly and can end up in oceans or on public surfaces[5].
• Since the brand’s launch, Milliways has saved tens of millions of pieces of plastic gum from entering the ecosystem.
• And if Milliways were to reach 30 million consumers, through their TV campaign, and could encourage each consumer to buy a single pack of Milliways gum just once, that could prevent 300 million plastic gum moments from entering our ecosystem.

Sarah Jones, Director of Planning at Sky Media, said, “It’s really shocking that most gum is made of single-use plastic – who would want to eat that! The judges loved the Milliways entry because it’s a disruptor brand with such a simple swap for consumers to practice more sustainable behaviours – all they need to do is reach for a different brand on the retailer’s shelf. We have loved watching the brand on its Sky Zero Footprint Fund journey and are really proud of the creative that they’ve produced as a result – it’s brilliantly funny, distinctive and tells their story in a memorable way that’s sure to cut through. We can’t wait to see the impact that the TV campaign will have on the brand’s growth and on changing people’s gum purchasing habits.”

Milliways is available in over 6,500 stores across the UK including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Ocado, Pret A Manger and Costa amongst others.

Sources:

• [1] https://policyexchange.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Litterbugs.pdf
• [2] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10759416/#:~:text=Some%20374%20billion%20pieces%20of,an%20influence%20on%20oral%20health
• [3] https://about.iceland.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Iceland-launches-plastic-free-chewing-gum-1.1.18.pdf
• [4] https://www.cwejournal.org/vol16no3/improper-disposal-of-non-biodegradable-chewing-gum-is-one-of-the-biggest-threats-to-our-ecology–a-review
• [5] https://www.dover.gov.uk/Environment/Environmental-Crime/Chewing-Gum-Waste.aspx#:~:text=Chewing%20Gum%20Facts&text=80%2D90%25%20of%20chewin

Grub Club Announced as £1m Grand Prix Winner of the 2023 Sky Zero Footprint Fund

• Sky Media announces that Grub Club has won the £1m Grand Prix of the 2023 Sky Zero Footprint Fund.
• The £2million advertising initiative has been running for three consecutive years, aiming to inspire behavioural change for a more sustainable future.
• The other finalists Milliways, Ocean Bottle, OceanSaver® and UpCircle secured £250k in media value, which will be used to support their sustainability initiatives.
• All ads will be unveiled to UK consumers in 2024.

Grub Club has been unveiled by Sky Media as the recipient of the Grand Prix prize of the 2023 Sky Zero Footprint Fund. The £2million advertising initiative is designed to support and encourage the nation to #GoZero, by raising awareness of the climate crisis and using the power of TV to inspire actions to protect the planet. Launched in 2021, the fund has contributed £6m to amplify businesses that promote behavioural change and deliver tangible positive impact.

Grub Club which produces insect protein dog food, was selected as the winner of the Grand Prix £1million media value prize. Four other finalists, Milliways, Ocean Bottle, OceanSaver® and UpCircle secured £250,000 as part of the scheme.

Hugh Petit, Co-Founder at Grub Club said: “We’re ecstatic to be announced as winners of the grand prize. Our journey starts here with our insect-based dog food that is not only nutritious and delicious for our pets, but it’s also helping to save the planet. By converting 1% of the UK’s 12M dogs to Grub Club, we can save up to 180,000 tonnes of C02e emissions, which is equivalent to a whopping 22.5K trips around the world in a car.

“We’re dog food with purpose and Sky Media is giving us a larger platform to be able to commit to having a real measurable impact on pets and the planet through the power of TV.”

The tough decision was determined yesterday, on Thursday, 7th December, at the Soho Hotel in London, following presentations from each brand showcasing their sustainability initiatives and unveiling their ads. The winning campaign was chosen by a panel of expert judges with considerable experience in advertising, creativity, and sustainability. Judges included Stephen Woodford (Chair of the Advertising Association); Sarah Jones (Director of Planning at Sky Media); Lindsey Clay (CEO of Thinkbox), Jo Fenn (Global Director of AdGreen); David Garrido (Presenter at Sky Sports); Gideon Spanier (UK Editor in chief of Campaign); Chris Baker (Co-Founder of Serious Tissues); Pippa Glucklich (Chief Executive Office of Electric Glue); Michelle Carvil (Marketing Consultant); Rosie Arnold (Creative Consultant); Richard Shotton (Behavioural Scientist); Dino Myers-Lamptey (founder of The Barber Shop); Marianne Matthews (Group Head, Responsible Business & Sustainability at Sky) and Cara French (Head of Strategic Partnerships at Media Trust).

The judges were impressed with the creative presentations from all the finalists. After thorough deliberation, Grub Club clinched the Grand Prix million-pound prize due to its ability to shake up its industry, its fun and bold creative and because it’s a simple sustainable swap that anyone can make. The winning ad was crafted and produced in partnership with Small World Collective and Nusa Films.

Sarah Jones Director of Planning at Sky Media commented, “We’re so pleased to have run the Sky Zero Footprint Fund for its third consecutive year. In total we’ve given £6million in media value to supporting businesses that are helping to tackle climate change by offering consumers sustainable alternatives.

All five winners will play a crucial role in inspiring the nation to make environmentally conscious changes using the power and reach of TV. Thanks so much to all our 2023 entrants and finalists – the standard this year was exceptional. A massive congratulations to Grub Club for securing the £1 million Grand Prix. We can’t wait to see all our winners make their debut on TV in 2024.”

The five winning ads were all produced following best practice advice and recommendations from the Advertising Association’s AdGreen programme.

Established by Sky, the Footprint Fund is part of the Sky Zero campaign to decarbonise its business operations and commitment to encourage its customers to #GoZero, by using its content and channels to raise awareness of the climate crisis and inspire viewers with actions they can take to protect the planet. The five finalists of Sky Zero’s Footprint Fund (in alphabetical order) are:

GrubClub
Grub Club is leading the Sustainable Pet Food Revolution by replacing the traditional sources of protein found in pet food with insect protein. Born out of the fact that the pet food industry generates over 100m tonnes of CO2 emissions annually, Grub Club is on a mission to empower as many paws as humanly possible as we strive towards a more sustainable future.

Milliways
Milliways is plastic-free, plant-based and planet-friendly chewing gum. The best-selling and award-winning range is fully biodegradable, aspartame-free, sugar-free, vegan and compostable. Most chewing gum brands are made from artificial additives and chewy plastic ingredients which may cause harm to our health and our environment. Milliways is on a mission to make its Super Natural Gum the norm for everyone, every day. Available in a variety of flavours including Peppermint, Mighty Mint, Bubble Mint and Watermelon, you can grab a pack of Milliways at any Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Pret A Manger, Costa, Whole Foods Ocado and WH Smith nationwide.

Ocean Bottle
The ocean is our most valuable resource in fighting climate change and without a healthy ocean there is no us. But it’s choking with plastic and by 2050 plastic is expected to outweigh all fish in the ocean. In its first TV campaign Ocean Bottle connects us to the issue by showing a weird but familiar dystopian world where plastic has replaced fish and invites us to see that another future is possible.

Every Ocean Bottle product funds the collection of 1000 plastic bottles.

OceanSaver®
OceanSaver® exists to save Ocean life from the plastic pollution and harmful chemicals in 28 billion single-use plastic cleaning products created every year. Our plastic-free, plant based Laundry, Cleaning Sprays, and Dishwashing products clean like the leading brands without harming Ocean life. They are affordable and easy to buy in your local Tesco, ASDA, Ocado, and Amazon. Join over 100,000 people who are saying “pollocks to plastic” and become an OceanSaver today. The Ocean will thank you.

UpCircle
One third of all food in the UK is wasted, yet nearly one third of people have a skincare routine. That’s one huge opportunity to save the planet through skincare. At UpCircle, we make sustainable skincare products from ingredients that would otherwise be discarded. We’re stocked in household retailers like Holland & Barrett, Ocado, The Fragrance Shop, Sephora, Look Fantastic, Superdrug, Deliveroo, Whole Foods US, Walmart and more. Our brand has seen staggering growth in the last seven years, selling hundreds of thousands of products per year, in over 45 different countries. In fact, an UpCircle best seller sells every 90 seconds. We have over 25,000 5* reviews and a cult following that we fondly call our “UpCirclers”. It all started when we discovered that more than 500,000 tonnes of coffee grounds that are consumed each year in the UK alone are sent to landfill (where they produce methane). On discovering this, my brother Will and I decided to start collecting coffee grounds from cafes across London and transforming them into skincare products.

But it’s not just coffee! We’ve come a long way since then and now upcycle more than 50 by-product ingredients – upcycled oat husks, rose petals, hibiscus acids and orange peel wax are now all being rescued for our latest launches. We’ve also extended the circular approach that we take to our ingredients to packaging too, and have now refilled 65,000 pieces of packaging via our “Return, Refill, Reuse” scheme.

2023 Winners of £2 million Sky Zero Footprint Fund revealed

• Five eco-friendly brands announced as winners of Sky’s 2023 £2 million sustainable advertising initiative.
• This year, Grub Club, Milliways, Ocean Bottle, OceanSaver® and UpCircle have been selected by an esteemed judging panel to each win £250,000 in media value, helping to supercharge their sustainable brands.
• The five brands will now move into ad production in advance of the final stage of judging in December, which will see the most compelling creative securing a total of £1 million in media value.
• Established by Sky Media, the Sky Zero Footprint Fund, now in its third year, supports sustainable brands by helping to amplify their climate-positive campaigns using the power of TV and advertising.

Sky announces Grub Club, Milliways, Ocean Bottle, OceanSaver® and UpCircle as the five winners of its award-winning Sky Zero Footprint Fund. Now in its third consecutive year, the £2 million advertising fund uses the power of TV advertising to tackle climate change by supporting campaigns that drive behaviour change for a more sustainable world.

The five winning brands were selected because of their pitch’s display to inspire change, with each one demonstrating sustainable values that align to Sky’s own. Sky Zero‘s pledge is to go net zero carbon by 2030 and inspire others to join the journey.

Last Thursday, 10th August, a panel of industry experts, with credentials in advertising, creativity and sustainability, met and assessed live pitches from the shortlisted brands at the Thinkbox HQ in Holborn. Each brand was judged on the merits of their creativity (ability to capture the attention of the nation); impact (the potential to drive real, tangible behavioural change); and sustainable credibility (their authentic commitment as a business to tackle climate change).

Each of the winning businesses has been awarded £250,000 in media value. They will now move into ad production, ahead of a final stage of judging in December, which will see the most compelling creative securing an additional £750,000 (totalling £1 million) in media value.

This year’s judging panel included a range of new additions with Chris Baker, Co-Founder of Serious Tissues who won the Grand Prix £1 million ad spend last year; Sky Sports News Presenter and Sustainability Lead, David Garrido; Pippa Glucklich, Chief Executive Office of Electric Glue; Marketing Consultant Michelle Carvil, author of Sustainable Marketing and Co-Founder of Can Marketing Save the Planet Podcast; Creative Consultant, Rosie Arnold; Richard Shotton, Behavioural Scientist and Author of The Illusion of Choice and The Choice Factory; and Dino Myers-Lamptey, founder of The Barber Shop & Co-Chair of The Conscious Advertising Network GSD Advisory Group.

The panel also saw the return of Stephen Woodford (Chair of the Advertising Association), Fiona Ball (Group Director of Bigger Picture at Sky), Sarah Jones (Director of Planning at Sky Media) Jo Fenn (Global Director of AdGreen) and Gideon Spanier (UK Editor in Chief of Campaign).

All five winning ads will be produced using insights, tools and learnings from AdGreen. Part of the Advertising Association, AdGreen supports the ad industry shift towards net zero, eliminating the negative environmental impacts of production. Established by Sky Media, the Footprint Fund is part of the Sky Zero campaign to be net zero carbon by 2030.

The five winning businesses are (alphabetically):

• Grub Club (Hypoallergenic insect-based dog food)
• Milliways (Plastic free, plant powered and planet friendly gum)
• Ocean Bottle (B Corp certified reusable bottles)
• OceanSaver® (Ocean safe eco cleaning products)
• UpCircle (Natural skincare with upcycled ingredients)

Sarah Jones, Director of Planning at Sky Media, said “It’s been an absolute honour to work on the Sky Zero Footprint Fund for the last two years and I’ve been so inspired by the brilliant range of applications this year too. The calibre of presentations we saw in the Footprint Fund Dragon’s Den was truly exceptional. Thanks to our fantastic judging panel who helped to select our winners – I can’t wait to see the ads from our final 5 in December and to see the impact they have when they launch their campaigns.”

Fiona Ball, Group Director of the Bigger Picture and Sustainability at Sky, said: “Sky uses its platforms to engage audiences on climate change and encourage steps to reduce carbon emissions. Over the last two years, the Sky Zero Footprint Fund has helped produce 10 exceptional adverts, propelling sustainable brands’ messages onto television to inspire wide, tangible behavioural change. Advertising can play a key role in raising awareness of climate issues and inspiring changes in daily habits, so we look forward to seeing the 2023 winners’ adverts on our TV channels.”

Alessandro Di Trapani, Cofounder & CEO, Grub Club, said, “We are absolutely buzzing to have made this year’s Final 5. The Sky Zero Footprint Fund gives us an incredible opportunity to tell the Grub Club story to millions of people across the UK, which will be a game-changer for us in educating pet parents about the sustainable alternatives that exist in pet food. Time to turn man’s best friend into Earth’s best friend.”

Tom Raviv, Founder and CEO, Milliways, said “We’re incredibly excited to be given this opportunity with Sky. We launched Milliways with the mission of taking the plastic and artificial ingredients out of conventional gum and replacing them with plant-based and plastic-free alternatives. It’s important for us to inform the public that most gum brands are made from single-use plastics which pollute our planet and may harm our health. Working with the Sky Zero Footprint Fund aligns with our mission and gives us the perfect platform to share Milliways’ story and purpose with the world – taking us a step closer towards making Milliways accessible for everyone to enjoy.”

William Pearson, CEO of Ocean Bottle, said: “We are thrilled to have been selected as one of the winners of the Sky Zero Footprint Fund. With Sky’s full support Ocean Bottle will be able to reach millions of people across the UK and fund the collection of over 100 million plastic bottles in weight and prevent them from entering the ocean in coastal communities around the world. We hope to help unbrainwash the nation from the single-use habits we have all become so accustomed to, save our pockets and the environment and make some history in the process.”

Adam Joe Parker, Marketing Director, OceanSaver® said, “The OceanSaver team is absolutely cod-smacked and delighted to have been selected as a Sky Zero Footprint Fund winner. This is a real seal of approval that saving our Ocean is critical to helping us solve the climate challenge and our creative idea that “the Ocean will thank you” for the small changes you make. We know that most people want to be more eco-friendly and deeply care about our Ocean. That’s why we’re making it easy for anyone to become an OceanSaver. We’re excited to partner with Sky to involve even more people in our wave of change.”

Anna Brightman, Co-Founder, UpCircle, said, “We are ecstatic to have made it into the final five brands in the Sky Zero Footprint Fund. With our total commitment to the circular economy we’ve been pretty disruptive in the beauty industry since day one, setting a new standard. It’s an industry that sends 120 billion units of packaging to landfills per year, so a new standard is necessary! This opportunity could be pivotal for UpCircle, taking the next big step towards making a concept like ours more mainstream. It’s incredibly exciting to know that we now have the opportunity to show our innovative ingredient rescuing concept on national TV and we can’t wait to get started”.

Qualifying conditions and offer prize confirmation can be found on the fund website. To get all further details on the Sky Zero Footprint Fund, visit www.skymedia.co.uk/skyzerofootprintfund/.

Serious Tissues rolls out its first-ever TV campaign

Sky Zero Footprint Fund 2022 Grand Prix winner launches TV campaign promoting carbon-neutral toilet roll

Today, Sky Media reveals Serious Tissues’ £1 million Grand Prix-winning, Sky Zero Footprint Fund advertising campaign.

Serious Tissues wiped out hundreds of competitors to be awarded the top prize for their campaign, showcasing the UK’s first carbon-neutral toilet roll. The resulting advert will run from 24th April – 22nd May, using AdSmart to reach audiences in a selection of UK regions across Sky Media’s Linear TV, and later featuring on Sky’s VOD service.

The advert campaign will display how Serious Tissues’ no-frills products are saving trees, shrinking landfills, and aiding reforestation. Serious Tissues’ innovative production methods aim to cut the number of excess trees used to create toilet paper, creating a toilet roll made from 100% recycled materials. By using paper that would have been otherwise thrown out – such as unused office reports and celebrity glossy mags – Serious Tissues is reducing the toilet paper industry’s carbon footprint and cutting air miles by basing production in the UK. Serious Tissues is also carbon neutral and plastic free.

The advert was first unveiled to the competition’s judges at the Sky Zero Footprint Fund Showcase event on December 7th, 2022. It was recognised and applauded by judges for its witty animation, which kept the production footprint low and featured personable tree characters discussing the impact of toilet roll on the environment – with huge potential to drive consumer change and disrupt a significant category. The trees are voiced by Kiell Smith-Bynoe, of Ghosts, Dreamland and Taskmaster and comedian Emily Lloyd-Saini.

Chris Baker, Co-Founder at Serious Tissues, said, “Toilet paper is an every day essential – which only makes it all the more important that it is produced in the most sustainable way possible. We were thrilled to take home the Grand Prix prize, £1 million of advertising across Sky’s linear TV and VOD service, which will expose our brand to millions of new customers. Not only will this help us reduce our industry’s carbon footprint, but it will also be instrumental in helping us make massive strides towards our reforestation goals.”

Serious Tissues worked with Brilliant Artists, Oh Studio and Wonderhood Studios who wrote and produced the advert. In order to keep the production’s footprint as low as possible, they created a simple film with a very small team of an illustrator and two animators. This meant the production was 5-10 times lower than the average London shoot based on the AdGreen calculator.

Here are some insights that helped lead the planning and execution of Serious Tissue’s award-winning advert:

1. Every day, one million trees are cut down to create toilet paper.
2. Serious Tissues’ product provides people with a simple switch that can have a huge impact – for every 1% share they get of the UK toilet roll market, Serious Tissues would plant 10 million trees.
3. So far, in just over two years of business, Serious Tissues has planted over 1.7 million trees and helped keep over 8,700 in the ground; proving that it is possible to change the world from your toilet seat.

The 2023 Sky Zero Footprint Fund is now open for entries. Sign up here to register your interest in learning more about how to submit your entry, before the deadline on the 26th of May 2023.

WUKA Unveils Taboo-Busting Advert For Pioneering Plastic-Free Period Pants In Its First TV Campaign

Sky Zero Footprint Fund 2022 winner, WUKA, launches £250k advertising campaign for sustainable periods.

Today, Sky Media reveals WUKA’s advertising campaign as one of the five winners of the Sky Zero Footprint Fund initiative.

The taboo-busting ad encourages women to ditch plastic-riddled disposable pads and tampons in favour of its sustainable period wear, with an honest depiction of real period stories, in an effort to normalise conversations around menstruation.

WUKA funded the campaign using the £250,000 media value earned from winning the Sky Zero Footprint Fund in 2022.

WUKA’s first TV advert will broadcast from the 21st of April and will run until the end of May 2023, when it will be aired across Sky Media’s Linear TV and VOD platforms.

WUKA stands for Wake Up Kick Ass, a mindset which is encapsulated in the script – the most claim-heavy script the production company had ever seen. After a gruelling six months of defending the creative with Clearcast – the advertising review body responsible for clearing TV adverts of potential misleading, harmful or offensive content – WUKA successfully upheld its realistic depiction of periods and its eco-friendly credentials, to bring its ad to life.

From conducting a low carbon shoot to depicting the true nature of periods with real bodies, real life situations and even realistic blood, WUKA is bringing sustainable period wear to the masses with the help of the Sky Zero Footprint Fund.

The panel of judges first viewed the 30” TV creative at the Sky Zero Footprint Fund Showcase event on December 7, 2022, where the ad was applauded for its very clear message and potential to positively impact both women’s health and the environment.

Ruby Raut, CEO and Co-Founder of WUKA said “For decades, growing up in Nepal, I used my mum’s old sari rags, was stigmatised for having a period, and was banished from my home whenever I was bleeding. I grew up with first-hand experience of what it’s like to live in period poverty and surrounded by the shame associated with menstruation.

“When I came to the UK, I was overwhelmed with choices, yet there was a distinct lack of sustainable period product options, or even easy-to-use solutions, offering the comfort and convenience that women and girls deserve to help them feel confident whilst bleeding. WUKA came about from a desire to create a product that both empowers the menstruating population and helps the planet.

As a self-funded scale-up, the Sky Zero Footprint Fund win has provided a really exciting and first-time opportunity for us to showcase our brand and product, but, more importantly, highlight the benefits of a switch to more sustainable period solutions, whilst also smashing taboos around menstruation. We’re hoping our first ever TV commercial will go a long way to making a difference to the lives of women, future generations and to helping reduce period related plastic waste.”

Throughout production, WUKA collaborated with Route Nine Studios husband & wife duo (Mike and Teri Moran) to integrate sustainable production decisions and practices. Steps taken included renting an Airbnb property for the shoot (instead of building a bespoke set); using electric vehicles and public transport for all travel; adopting a zero plastic set; and offsetting all carbon resulting from the shoot and production process.

Below are some insights that informed WUKA’s campaign and creative execution:

1. Around 700,000 panty liners, 2.5 million tampons and 1.4 million sanitary towels are flushed down the toilet every day, with 1.5‐2 billion menstrual items flushed down Britain’s toilets every year.
2. One conventional sanitary pad takes around 500 years to break down. As well as contributing to plastic pollution, a year’s worth of a typical menstrual product also impacts on climate, with a carbon footprint of 5.3kg CO2 equivalent.
3. A report by Plan International UK reveals that:
   • Over a third (34%) of girls that miss school due to periods worry about leaking.
   • More than one in four (28%) young women aged 14 to 21 are struggling to afford period products.

The 2023 Sky Zero Footprint Fund is now open for entries. Sign up here to register your interest in learning more about how to submit your entry, before the deadline on the 26th of May 2023.