How sustainability supercharged a nationwide advertising campaign

In 2023, leading mobile network company giffgaff partnered with Open Media for a key Out of Home (OOH) campaign. And, as the two brands got to know each other, the partnership became more than just advertising. Georgina Bramall (GB), marketing director at giffgaff, and Fiona Ravlic (FR), chief revenue officer of Open Media, explain how the relationship has since taken on greater meaning.

Georgina, how did giffgaff begin its sustainability journey?

GB: From the very start of giffgaff we set out to challenge the market and be a force for good. In our founding thoughts was a commitment to do the right thing for both people and the planet, and we hoped we’d grow by attracting people who shared these values. The steps we have taken towards B Corp and achieving net zero have felt like a natural evolution, as we had always considered our broader impact, but committing to these standards gives us a framework to support how we operate.

The out-of-Home (OOH) industry is on a collective sustainability journey. Fiona, how has Open Media embraced this?

FR: Open Media are Ad Net Zero supporters. Ad Net Zero is an initiative to decarbonise the production, distribution, and publication of advertising. Since joining, we have collaborated in a number of ways, with Elle Chartres, UK director of Ad Net Zero, speaking at a panel co-hosted by Open Media, and soon our senior operations and sustainability executive, Helena Houghton-Casella, will host an Ad Net Zero showcase to explain our journey in understanding Scope 3 emissions. The difficulty in navigating Scope 3 emissions is well-publicized, so Open Media wanted to help others in the sector and be a driving force for change.

Georgina, has OOH played a role in amplifying your sustainability communications at giffgaff?

GB: OOH has played a two-fold role in helping giffgaff with its sustainability commitments. Firstly, when we consider our messaging, we have run very successful refurbished phone campaigns in the past, helping us position the great quality and value of our refurbished devices offer, both to the customer and the environment. Secondly, looking at the medium of OOH itself, we have been able to take direct carbon reduction actions. For example, working with our OOH partners such as Open Media, we turned off digital advertising overnight to save energy and, through our own advertising, we help fund initiatives to reduce pollution and increase green spaces.  OOH is important for us as we consider our go-to-market approach for campaigns.

How did the relationship between giffgaff and Open Media develop?

FR: I first met Georgina at a Women in Advertising and Communications (WACL) networking dinner in 2023 and we immediately hit it off. While we were chatting, we realised both Open Media and giffgaff were B Corp and shared our journeys. It was really interesting, and after the event, Open Media reached out to giffgaff as we thought we would be a good fit for their brand. When you find a business with shared values and goals, you can create impactful and meaningful work.

GB: Open Media became a key partner over time for giffgaff as we implemented our responsible media planning principles. We were looking to include more partners who shared our beliefs around responsible growth, people and the planet. As a fellow B Corp, partnering with Open Media for our key campaigns made perfect sense. Having this alignment brings confidence and trust in our partnership, knowing that we are both working together towards a bigger aim.

Georgina, giffgaff also launched their Up To Good Collective Fund recently. What are the goals of the Fund?

GB:  The fund operates by encouraging contributions from clients and agency partners to donate a percentage of their media spend to support the objectives of the Up To Good Collective. Our primary focus remains de-carbonizing our projects at source, but residual carbon remains and so by creating an open-source fund we’re supporting three key projects; distributing fuel-efficient cookstoves in Kenya, installing and maintaining community water boreholes in Eritrea and restoring mangrove ecosystems in Pakistan. Our ambitions for the fund are to continue to grow the Collective by engaging as many partners as possible to ultimately make more of a positive impact.

Fiona, how else is Open Media leading the sustainability drive in your sector?

FR: Open Media donates screen space to environmental causes such as GlobalGoals Week and the Better Business Network, whilst supporting our internal team to become Carbon Literate, including mandatory training for all future team members. This training educates people around everyday actions that affect the climate and the ability to reduce emissions. To date, Open Media has avoided over 354 tonnes of carbon, planted 8,699 trees and supported 24 environmental projects globally, ranging from wind power projects to rainforest protection through our partnership with Ecologi.