Arctic wins GOLD at Effie Awards Romania 2023 with a campaign focused on educating consumers about a sustainable lifestyle

Arctic, the leader of the domestic appliances market in Romania, wins a Gold Effie in the Durables category at the Effie Awards Romania 2023 for the Forgotten campaign.

Developed by McCann Worldgroup Romania, the campaign’s aim is to inspire Romanians to adopt a sustainable lifestyle. Wearing more of the clothes we already have is the best answer to the overconsumption of textiles, which leads to significant environmental impact, including increased resource extraction, energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, and waste production. Under the slogan “Rediscover your wardrobe with ExtraSteam technology“, the campaign started from the insight that each of us has clothing items in our wardrobe that we have forgotten about, some even with the tags still attached. As part of a sustainable lifestyle, they can be brought back into the limelight with the help of the star technology of the campaign –  ExtraSteam, which provides gentle care for clothes, significantly extending their life.

The campaign, supported by Zitec and Oxygen, was launched in 2022 with a 35-second TV spot, broadcast on the most important TV stations in Romania. It was amplified in social media and digital, including through extensive influencer marketing actions. Forgotten targeted all channels, covering a wide range of communication platforms, including special projects carried out on some of the most popular sites in Romania. The campaign also featured a landing page – https://www.arctic.ro/forgotten/, which draws together the sustainability education component – understanding the impact that clothes have – with the customer experience factor.

Post-campaign studies have confirmed its impact, with 8 out of 10 participants in a study conducted by Syno in May 2022 on a nationally representative sample stating that the key message of “Rediscover your wardrobe with ExtraSteam technology” would stick in their minds.

The Forgotten campaign also received international recognition, being shortlisted at Cannes Lions in the Media section, Excellence in Media – Use of Integrated Media in 2022.

“The Gold Effie for our Forgotten campaign brings us immense joy. Forgotten holds special significance for Arctic, as it marks a new milestone as far as our communication strategy is concerned – opening up a dialogue with Romanian consumers on sustainability issues. Our communication efforts were also doubled by sales results, with Arctic remaining the number one brand in the large appliance category. My gratitude goes to McCann and our other partners for turning this idea into a campaign that created positive social impact, contributing to a more sustainable Romania”, Gabriel Eremia,Marketing and Product Management Director at Arctic, declared.

“The Forgotten campaign represents an important moment in the evolution of the Arctic brand, which lately has become increasingly relevant in the sustainability landscape. Arctic has taken on the sustainability challenge and developed a portfolio of products that promote a responsible lifestyle, while also focusing its messages on educating consumers. Our mission is to determine positive changes in consumer behavior”, Daniela Costi, Arctic Brand Manager, added.

“Talking about sustainability in Romania is hardly new, but adopting sustainable behaviors is still a challenge in everyday life, especially when compared to image standards of the modern lifestyle. A surprising and innovative approach is needed to show Romanians not only that it is possible, but also that they can do it in a very easy and compromise-free way. Arctic, a Romanian brand, comes with know-how that is deeply rooted in the local culture and with a strong message – a sustainable lifestyle is simple when you have the right technology by your side. The Forgotten campaign introduced the most sustainable fashion brand on the market, made up entirely of clothes from your own wardrobe brought to life by the ExtraSteam technology. This is a campaign that not only strengthened Arctic’s position as a market leader, but also its sustainable brand credentials, succeeding in creating new behavior patterns. We see this award as a recognition of the efforts made by our entire team and as a celebration of the special relationship we have with our ambitious clients”, Anne Schepp, Senior Planner McCann Worldgroup Romania, stated.

The message of the sustainability-focused Forgotten campaign is all the more relevant as the washing machines equipped with ExtraSteam technology are produced with a minimal impact on the environment, in the Arctic factory in Ulmi, Dâmbovița county, the first Industry 4.0 centre in Romania.

Inaugurated at the end of 2019, the washing machine factory in Ulmi was awarded Sustainability Lighthouse status by the World Economic Forum (WEF) in late 2022, being one of the few centers in Europe on this list. The award recognizes its effective on-site sustainability measures.

EFFIE is the most significant award in the Romanian advertising industry because it honors the one truly important achievement in advertising: results. The competition takes place annually in recognition of the year’s most effective advertising campaigns – campaigns that have delivered superior results in meeting or exceeding the objectives they were designed to achieve. EFFIE is a national award spread internationally and it has been organized since 1968.