In the News

< Back to News Home

Walking the Green Talk: World's First Plastic Bag Billboard

Originally appeared in The Star (South Africa)

"Only one bank can truly call itself the green bank" Those are the words emblazoned on what is thought to be the world's first billboard to be woven from recycled plastic bags. It was erected this week by Nedbank at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg.

2000 plastic bags were collected and woven together by seven self-employed crafters to create a 40-square meter 'canvas' on which Nedbank and its advertising agency partner, Net#work BBDO, could spread a message of commitment to the preservation of the environment. It took six weeks to produce and was a challenge to the crafters who had previously not made anything larger than a door mat.

This is the third in the series of billboards for good by Nedbank. The first being the solar panel billboard that powers up a kitchen in Alexandra and won the top international honour at the 2006 Cannes Advertising Award. The second solar billboard, with a wind turbine, was placed at the Cape Mission School in Cape Town. This supplies power to its kitchen, security lights and geysers, saving hundreds of Rands in electricity each month.

According to Net#work's Executive Creative Director, Rob McLennan, the agency has become fully focused on making a social difference while building its clients' brands.

"In this case, we could really see the potential of the humble plastic shopping bag to make landmarks of positive change. This billboard has created jobs, married advertising with social conscience, showcased our local artistry and has removed some of the countries non bio-degradable rubbish."

He says, "If this billboard can help to create more awareness of the country's plastic problem and the positive impact that recycling can have - then Nedbank will have further entrenched its reputation as the nation's truly 'green' bank."

Greg Garden, Nedbank's Divisional Executive Group Marketing said the 'plastic' billboard is a unique way to reuse discarded plastic and it is another example of Nedbank's commitment to doing things differently. "It is an extension of Nedbank Group's already well entrenched culture of conservation and environmental awareness. A culture that recently saw us become the first SA bank to publically commit to energy reduction targets, throughout our business via our Climate Change Position Statement," he says.

Bernadette Briglin, head of advertising at Nedbank agrees. "This billboard is an innovative way to send out a marketing message in a way that not only creates employment opportunities, but also goes some way to solving our country's litter problems." Briglin points out, "plastic still represents an immense environmental problem because it can take anything between 400 and 1000 years to degrade."

Reprinted with Permission