As part of our 20th birthday celebrations, we asked our staff to contribute the very best behaviour change campaigns they’ve noted over the years. And specifically, those we didn’t create. Here are 20 behaviour change campaigns that have inspired and motivated us to keep changing behaviour for the better.

Meet Graham

By Clemenger BBDO Melbourne
for Australia's Transport Accident Commission

’The first time I 'met Graham' was at an award ceremony seeing it pick up two Cannes Lions Grand Prix in 2017. I remember thinking - that's the campaign I wish I'd created. It took many familiar PR techniques: recruiting an expert (in this case a trauma surgeon); working with an artist; and trawling data to find a human insight, but then they mashed them all together to create an interactive, completely grotesque (no neck and 12 nipples), yet lifelike sculpture to depict how a body would need to be formed in order to withstand a car accident. Designed to cut through with a male audience desensitised to shock ads, this clever campaign quickly became a global social media phenomenon garnering 31m video views in just a few hours. I'm sure that campaign played its part in the resulting 9.4% decrease in traffic accidents in the subsequent year in Victoria, Australia.'”
Jody Hall, PR Partner

The Answer is Plain

By AMV BBDO
for Cancer Research UK (CRUK)

'There’s something charming about hearing children share their opinions and describe their toys with an innocence and honesty that adults struggle to master. However, my thoughts of ‘aren’t they adorable’ abruptly melted away, as I neared the end of this short interview with primary school classmates. I thought they were talking about sweet wrappers, until the camera panned out to reveal a pile of colourful cigarette packets that they were entranced by. The shock factor of this video instantly made me sit up and listen – certainly the desired effect for a charity wanting to rally the nation to sign a petition for plain cigarette packaging. More than 90,000 people took action to support the campaign and four years later, it all paid off. Legislation for compulsory plain, standardised cigarette packaging was introduced in 2016 – giving millions of kids one less reason to start smoking.'
- Milly Hindle, Account Manager

Bentley Burial

By Leo Burnett Tailor Made
for the Brazilian Association of Organ Transplant

'Organ Donation can seem on the surface like quite a logical sell. Why be buried with a bunch of stuff that’ll be useless to you but could massively benefit someone else? There’s a whole lot of complex cultural and emotional barriers though, so it helps if you can make the point in a way that forces reappraisal and makes the case against it completely unarguable. Step forward ‘Bentley Burial’ – an idea so deceptively simple yet so wonderfully well executed that I just stare at the case study film, mouth-agape, marvelling at the sheer audacity and brilliance of it all.'

- Tristan Cavanagh, Creative Director

#BellLetsTalk

by Bell

‘#BellLetsTalk is a brilliantly simple, and brilliantly effective idea – encourage people to talk about mental health on one day to normalise and destigmatise the conversation. The annual campaign began in 2011 with the goal of getting people sharing their mental health stories online in exchange for Bell (a Canadian telecoms company) donating 5 cents per post to mental health charities and organisations. It’s been the #1 trending topic on Twitter twice and Bell has donated over £100m to mental health initiatives since the campaign launched. And beyond that, 83% of Canadians reported believing attitudes about mental illness have changed for the better since Bell Let’s Talk began. Every year, almost everyone I know back home posts something in support of the campaign. It’s changed the way my friends and I approach speaking to each other about mental health and has created mass visibility around an issue that was still somewhat taboo when the campaign was launched. The point is, it really did make a difference.’

- Jenn Munroe, New Business and Marketing Manager

Fireworks Safety Sparkler PSA

'As a child of the seventies from the UK, I have a healthy attitude towards doom. We were surrounded by it. You couldn’t move for it. And you couldn’t even escape from it on the telly thanks to those damn Public Information films from the government. Stranger Danger, playing in dumped fridges, keeping off of the tracks and flying kites around power lines. Some of every young boys favourite things.
But a life long quasi fear of sparklers was begun thanks to a small girl with a terrifying scream and a bandage the size of Croydon.

“Don’t start November 6th like this” was the chilling endline. More like, “keep that sparkler away from my dessert”. Sparklers have never been fun since. Behaviour well and truly changed.'

- Rob Garner, Head of Design

Watchyourdrink.com

By TBWA

'It is a tough decision choosing a favourite behaviour change campaign. Simplicity does it for me and surely ‘Stand on the Right’ dating back to the 1920’s has to be one of the most famous and longest standing behaviours we know. The utter contempt you have for someone who stands on the left still remains to this day alongside the embarrassment of being the one who is clearly not a Londoner.

But instead I have chosen a campaign from TBWA, London for Project Watchyourdrink.com. An incredibly simple yet very effective idea to raise awareness of Drug Rape, cocktail umbrellas were placed in peoples drinks without them noticing. The message ‘this is how easy it is…to spike your drink showed how easily it could happen – there and then – if you let your drink out of sight, creating not only a memorable warning but talkability. Impactful and award-winning.'

- Sadie Westwood, Business Director

Schiphol Airport Urinal Fly

Turn to 30

By P&G for Ariel

'In 2006, Ariel’s focus became environmental. Through this focus, they found the highest amount of energy was used in the home, heating the water in the wash cycle.
Ariel took this nugget and started to investigate. Consumer insight revealed that people believed they needed to wash at high temperatures to get good results, and this was an entrenched barrier to adopting more sustainable cold-cleaning behaviours. Suddenly, Ariel realised they could have real impact here as they had developed a solution: Ariel’s superior Cold Clean technology.
So they developed a campaign that landed the message that people could wash at 30, still have the cleanest clothes, AND make a positive impact on the world. And it worked! The campaign was not only responsible for consistent behavioural change and volume sales uplift since, but received widespread stakeholder and industry accolade for putting energy saving on the mainstream agenda.
That’s cool. 30 degrees kinda cool.'

- Lily Cameron, Strategic Planner

Don’t Die of Ignorance

By TBWA
for the government response to HIV/AIDS

‘Don't Die of Ignorance' was a 1987 public health campaign by the British government in response to the rise of HIV/AIDS.

The campaign was a controversial intervention to combat the social factors contributing to AIDS stigma and transmission: ignorance. Its tactic was to treat the disease – which at the time was thought to be confined to marginalised groups – as a shared public health issue; attacking the virus itself rather than the people who had it.

The campaign pairs a straightforward, unambiguous message with a dramatic, gloomy sci-fi aesthetic, and is my opinion, one of the most memorable behaviour change campaigns in recent(ish) years.'

- Anna Patteson, Account Manager

Les Competences D’abord/ Don’t Silence Sexual Health

By French Government/ Women’s Integrated Sexual Health Program (WISH) Lebanon

’Les competences d’abord’ campaign had the objective to fight against recruitment discrimination in France and highlighted the fact that what is considered “standard” practice is actually racism with the tag line: “With equal qualifications, the name and origin may require sending 4 times more CVs to land an interview”.

This campaign resonated with me because the French republic is based on the values of equality which gives them a false sense of comfort that “standard” practice is the norm, but in reality it is racism.

My 2nd choice is a campaign launched in Lebanon last year by Women’s Integrated Sexual Health Program (WISH). They aimed to break the silence and encourage women to be honest about their sexual health and reassure them that conversations about it are essential and their concerns are valid. Billboards were launched all over the capital with various messaging and the tagline “don’t silence sexual health”

I loved this campaign because of the taboo associated with sex, sexual health and sexual rights in Lebanon. It broke the mould and demonstrated that it is normal for women to have these feelings and concerns.’

- Ghia Osseiran, Account Manager

Votes for Women

By Hilda Dallas

'When advertising and art collide, you get an emotive sweet spot that embeds something in history and culture.

The iconography and art of the Suffragette movement, including this 1909 poster by Hilda Dallas to advertise the "Votes for Women" newspaper, portrays a powerful snapshot of a moment in time with a clear intention for social shifts in the future. For me, the simplicity of the message creates a sense of permanency that chips away at the status quo, activating those women whose voices had been ignored for so long into realising another world was possible.'

- Katy Davies, Senior Account Manager

This Girl Can

By FCB Inferno
for Sport England

Jo: 'Am I the only one that gets a bit emosh watching it? It's SO uplifting and inspiring. It just makes me want to play netball, lift weights & zumba (not at the same time) preferably after having had my eyelashes done. The campaign galvanised me to try different fitness activities and I started doing dance classes, running, circuits and weights. (It also reintroduced me to Missy Elliot, although I'm not sure that was the point!).'

Rachel: 'Who can’t fail to be inspired, energised and excited by Missy Eliot’s ‘Get Ur Freak On’ a fantastic choice for this behaviour change campaign that encouraged women to get up and get active and get their Freak On. What I loved about this campaign is that it perfectly aligned to our own 23red behaviour change approach of Do. Feel. Think, showing women of all shapes, sizes and abilities just giving physical activity a go, regardless of what others may think. What I thought - I want to do that and 4 years later I’m still spinning and running and generally getting my Freak On!'

- Jo Dale Ford, HR Manager and Rachel Tattersdill, Client Partner

Plastic Bags Kill

By BBDO Malaysia
for Global Action in the Interest of Animals (GAIA)

‘It's so easy to be in trance mode when using plastic bags in daily life and to not connect human plastic waste to harm to wildlife, but these bags do it in a simple and effective way. If every time you pick up a plastic bag, for a split second this image flashes through your memory, then the ad campaign has done a brilliant job.’

- James Gillies, Account Manager

The Last Straw

By Karmarama
for IKEA/ The Design Museum

‘I loved this campaign as it is so simple yet the message is so effective. The ‘Last Straw’ installation featured the last ever single-use plastic straw to be served in or sold in IKEA UK & Ireland. The objective of this campaign was to inspire consumers collectively and show them the small sustainable steps we can all take to protect our home.

The ‘Last Straw’ won’t be going anywhere anytime soon as IKEA will display it as an artefact, highlighting the issue that these straws can take up to 200 years to decompose. With the plastic straw being displayed and placed on this pedestal it’s a tangible symbol for and reminder of the everyday steps that we can take to have a positive impact on the planet.’

- Katie Woodford, Marketing and Research Executive

Boost Your Voice

By 180LA
for Boost Mobile

‘As our friends across the pond gear up for the presidential election next week, I wanted to highlight ‘Boost Your Voice’, a campaign from U.S. telecoms brand Boost Mobile and agency 180LA.

Deliberate voter suppression in the U.S. is turning voting from a human right to a privilege that discriminates against disadvantaged groups. Polling places have been systematically eliminated from areas of predominantly low-income and minority ethnic voters, meaning millions of people face long queues at polling stations and long journeys to get there.

Boost Mobile stores tend to be in more deprived areas where this is a problem. In 2016 Boost partnered with voting rights groups and the government to turn all Boost Mobile stores into polling stations.

The campaign resulted in 23% higher voter turnout in Boost precincts during the 2016 election.  This year Boost stores are open again as polling stations to help every American voice be heard.’

- Alex Ashford, Account Director

Bell Bajao (Ring the Bell)

By Ogilvy and Mather
for Breakthrough

‘Bell Bajao (Hindi for ‘ring the bell’) is an anti-domestic violence campaign that was created by Ogilvy and Mather and launched in India in 2008. The campaign aimed to encourage local residents, particularly men, to intervene when they overheard violence against a woman taking place. By ringing the doorbell to ask to borrow some tea or use the phone, it let the abuser know that they could be heard, and most importantly the violence was interrupted.

There’s 3 things I like about this campaign. Its simplicity - providing a simple, memorable ‘do’ is the holy grail of all behaviour change campaigns and I think Bell Bajao nails it. It’s smart because it sees a role for men as partners in ending domestic violence. And it’s brave because it gives permission for people to take individual action.’

- Alice Muir, Business Director

#SharetheLoad

By BBDO India
for Ariel

‘Ariel India created an international social storm with their ‘Dads #ShareTheLoad’ campaign back in 2016 for its message of change that was delivered in this heartwarming film. With this emotive and progressive portrayal of a man’s vision of gender equality, Ariel created a thought-provoking film to encourage people to make small transformations in their lifestyle that will lead to a huge societal change, without being ‘preachy’.

Ariel’s bold's yet emotive approach made a direct hit towards the societal norms in India, and it worked. The #ShareTheLoad series led to a massive participation with 2.1m men pledging their support to the cause. It also led to the creation of a Guinness World Record of most amount of men washing clothes together as 2600 men united together against gender inequality and bias. Most importantly, the percentage of Indian men that thought household duties were a woman’s job decreased from 74% in 2014 to 52% in 2018. A job well done!’

- Laura Spooner, Account Director

Drinking and Driving Wrecks Lives

By Waldron Allen Henry Thompson
for Department for Transport

‘Drinking and Driving Wrecks Lives was the first behaviour change I worked on in 1987. Government advertising to discourage drinking and driving had been running since 1976 but had been off TV in the mid 80’s and deaths were rising. Targetted at young working class males who were the group receiving the most convictions and aim was to make drinking and driving socially unacceptable. A brilliant hard hitting TV ad developed by Agency Waldron Allen Henry and Thompson captured the emotional reactions of people involved in the tragedy. The campaign was amplified with the support producers and retailers and road safety officers who promoted the campaign in local communities. Reported cases dropped beyond expectations and by Jan 1988 over the limit drinking and driving had fallen to lowest level with, hard core group showed the greatest drop and road casualty rates fell. I still feel immensely proud of this campaign and many of the learnings are as relevant today as they were then.’

- Jane Asscher, CEO and Founding Partner