How AMV BBDO Smeared Poo on MPs Responsible for Raw Sewage Dumping
It’s true that being an advertising creative is an adventurous job filled with unexpected circumstances, but very few creative directors can say they collected human poo from under Putney Bridge for a campaign.
AMV BBDO’s creative directors Jack Smedley and George Hackforth-Jones have, though, and it was for a good cause - the most unmissable smear campaign out there, prepping audiences for the coming UK election.
Teaming up with the Central Office of Public Interest (COPI), and drawing on research from the UK’s Environmental Agency, AMV embarked on creating the grossest typeface out there, made up of real raw sewage and human excrement, in order to draw attention to the personal impact of sewage dumping.
The campaign quite literally smeared the MPs from both parties who voted for targets which allow a whopping 15 more years of dumping untreated wastewater in England’s rivers and seas.
“Join The Smear Campaign,” is what the posters urge readers to do, while they’re most likely trying to make out what exactly the font is made of. But, believe it or not, this was the version of the campaign that is easier on the stomach.
LBB’s Zoe Antonov spoke to Jack and George about the meaning and making of this unforgettable campaign.
LBB> Tell me about the beginning of this campaign and what kind of ideas were thrown around before reaching this one.
Jack & George> COPI came to us and asked to run a national public awareness campaign to highlight illegal sewage dumping. We wanted to make the campaign so unmissable that it would rally the public to hold those responsible to account and put pressure on the government to set better targets towards banning sewage pollution completely.
The original idea was actually to create a 40ft Trevi fountain-style monument with CEOs spewing sewage out of their mouths. COPI were keen and we even had an amazing sculptor signed up… That was until the lawyers got involved.
LBB> How involved were COPI in the creative execution and decision-making process? Was the Environmental Agency also involved?
Jack & George> COPI was the dream client. From the minute we started, they loved the idea of turning poo into a message to shame those allowing dumping to continue and worked tirelessly with us to make it a reality.
While the Environmental Agency didn't directly participate in our campaign, their research played a crucial role in highlighting the magnitude of the issue we were addressing.
LBB> What does 'live dumping data' mean and how did you use it to coincide with real sewage surges?
Jack & George> Event Duration Monitoring (EDM) data shows the frequency and duration of sewage spills into bodies of water from storm overflows. 100% of storm overflows are now fitted with monitoring devices required by the government. Some of this data is reported live, which provides real-time insights into ongoing spills. This enabled us to identify the locations where dumping was occurring and react to live spills with bespoke creative, raising awareness of the problem as it happened.
LBB> Tell me about the actual making of the font - what went into creating it and who worked on it? Was there real excrement in it?
Jack & George> ‘The Smear Campaign’ used craft as a weapon, calling out the people allowing raw sewage to be dumped in British waters with art direction designed to be as sickening as the truth it represents. At the heart of the campaign is a typeface built from real sewage found in our rivers, lakes, and oceans, brought to life in collaboration with typography artists Sean Freeman and Eve Steben. We collected items of raw sewage from a polluted river and worked them into a custom typeface.
The base layer is made from human excrement that shows up in different shapes, sizes, and textures. We then layered in human waste, including excrement, congealed fat and foam, decaying organic matter, used toilet paper, discarded old condoms, dirty plasters, maggots and flies.
Similarly, excrement smears and filthy puddles were added as photographic decorative background elements, to tie the scene and convey the idea of the type being freshly scooped out of the water.
LBB> How long did it take you to collect all the material and what was that experience like? Where did you collect it from?
Jack & George> We collected the sewage elements from the Thames at a dumping site under Putney Bridge over a matter of days. It was the worst part of the process as the team had to don gloves, hold our noses, and sift through the human poo, tampons and condoms littering the riverbank. Passers-by thought we were insane.
LBB> How did you decide where to show the poster and what went into that decision?
Jack & George> We’ve chosen media close to dumping sites and used location-specific social media to highlight live dumping happening in real time.
LBB> How did you decide what the posters should say and what went into those decisions?
Jack & George> We wanted the posters to be as visceral as possible to speak directly to the public in the first person. The headlines also needed to be as short as possible to allow the full impact of the horrible type to shine through.
LBB> What was the most challenging part of this campaign? And the most fun?
Jack & George> Getting paid to have serious conversations about poo was pretty novel. The most challenging part was convincing ITV to show such revolting visuals on national news when people were eating their dinner. But to their credit, they did.
LBB> Why was it important to address this issue right now and have you seen any response from the government?
Jack & George> Public awareness regarding sewage pollution in our waters is high, yet individuals often feel powerless regarding actionable steps they can take to contribute towards a solution. With the upcoming general election, more than half of the public will weigh the government’s handling of sewage spills into how they vote in the general election (Survation, 2023). We therefore aimed to make noise leading up to the election, ensuring that the issue and the voting records of local MPs are at the forefront of voters' minds.
LBB> How has the public reacted so far?
Jack & George> We’re measuring sentiment and can already see a shift in public perception of the issue, which is amazing. People are far less likely to swim in UK waters this summer, which is probably a good thing given the level of pollution.
LBB> Any final thoughts?
Jack & George> Sometimes if you want people to clean up their act, you’ve got to play dirty.
