Element Fire Extinguisher – Bored Firemen
Case Study
THE CHALLENGE
Fire extinguishers are essential to safety but, in a category that hasn’t changed much in 100 years, it’s difficult to get people to pay attention.
It can take just 30 seconds for a small flame to turn into a major blaze[1] yet only 63% of Canadian homes[2] and 70% of American homes[3] have fire extinguishers. Furthermore, 70% of Canadians[4] and the majority of Americans[5] say they are not confident that they know how to operate one. With more than 388,000 household and outdoor fires happening in North America every year, this is a critical issue needing widespread attention. Mere seconds can mean the difference between a safe escape and a tragedy and, with the right tools, most of these fires can be avoided.
A large, heavy cylinder of compressed gas filled with a messy powder is an antiquated way to put out a fire, yet people’s perception of what a fire extinguisher is hasn’t changed. It is a highly recognizable size and shape, consistently used on safety signs, so most people think there’s only one option for a fire extinguisher.
Element, an Italian producer with internationally certified and patented technology, had a revolutionary new fire extinguisher to promote in North America. 80% smaller and 1/10th lighter than traditional fire extinguishers, Element’s products don’t need servicing, never expire, make no mess, do not release toxic chemicals, and are easier to use. They use a tested and proven technology, created for the space program, that fights fires on the molecular level by chemically interrupting the chain of combustion. It’s the world’s smallest and longest lasting fire extinguisher[6]. Element’s products have won numerous awards for their innovative design and fire-fighting capabilities.
Element had launched its products in North America market five years ago but had never done any marketing. It was time to get people to sit up and take notice with Element’s first-ever consumer ad campaign.
STRATEGY
We needed North Americans to completely re-think fire extinguishers.
Elements mission is to put fires out of business and their fire extinguishers are a complete disruption of the category. We needed to get a conversation about fire safety started in North America to introduce people to this revolutionary product with limited media spend. The product had previously been targeted to car racing enthusiasts and had been featured on shows such as Jay Leno's Garage, Southern Survival, All Girls Garage, Two Guys Garage, and more. But Element had saturated that market and needed to build a broader audience.
The product is relevant to all North American adults, especially those who live in a small space, own a car or boat, BBQ or go camping, and don’t have a lot of space for a fire extinguisher. The target skewed female as women tend to worry about family safety more than men[7].
INSIGHT
In a world where fires don’t exist, firefighters would be just like the rest of us.
The stereotype of male firefighters being hot is well established in North America, and ‘sexy firefighter’ calendars are a popular item with women each year. Male firefighters are always featured with their shirts off in these calendars, showing the muscles they need to effectively do their jobs.
But what if every North American had Element fire extinguishers, so fires didn’t exist anymore? Firefighters wouldn’t have to stay in shape and they would have a heck of a lot more free time to pursue personal interests.
CREATIVE
In a twist on the ‘sexy fireman’ calendar, we produced the Bored Fireman Calendar.
Our calendar turned the stereotype on its head, featuring a bunch of unsexy, bored firefighters who have been rendered unnecessary by Element’s fire extinguishers. Each month comically depicted firefighters like Pensive Pete, Stacked Steve, and Laidback Larry who can spend more time relaxing and focusing on their passion projects such as knitting or playing cards, thanks to Element. They also get to let themselves go physically because they only had to stay in such killer shape to fight the fires. Buyers received the calendar for free with the purchase of two fire extinguishers.
This clever calendar served not only as a reminder of the strength of the Element fire extinguisher, but also promoted the admiration the brand feels for brave firefighters across North America. Element donated a percentage of sales from each fire extinguisher sold during the holiday season to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (US) and the Canadian Fallen Firefighters Association.
The 2022 Bored Fireman Calendar was promoted in December 2021 through paid social media, email marketing, and appearances on local TV morning shows.
RESULTS
Element sold out of the calendars almost immediately and had to do a reprint…which also sold out. The calendar succeeded in starting a new conversation about fire safety by generating a lot of earned PR coverage, including being highlighted on ABC and Fox morning shows. The coverages resulted in over 500 million media impressions across North America.
[1] Department of Homeland Security
[2] National Fire Information Database, Canada
[3] National Fire Protection Association, USA
[4] Fire Equipment Manufacturers’ Association, Canada
[5] Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
[6] Elementfire.com
[7] New York Times, June 2019