A Cranky Eastern Blue Groper is Drowning in Litter in New NSW EPA Campaign via 303
Nature still hates a tosser – and this time it’s ropable
In a continuation of the highly successful Nature Hates a Tosser platform, the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) has launched a new campaign, with a new perspective and new sea-based character aimed at changing the behaviour of local litterers.
Developed by integrated agency partner and behaviour change experts 303, the new campaign introduces an Eastern Blue Groper voiced by iconic Australian actor Bryan Brown, surrounded by the litter that makes its way to the State’s waterways every day.
Declaring that “we’re drowning down here”, the cranky Blue Groper gives a voice to the unseen impact of littering, reflecting the reality that for every piece of litter seen on land in NSW, more can be found in its waterways.
The new campaign is the second instalment in the NSW EPA’s Nature Hates a Tosser series that first launched last year via 303. Its tagline ‘Bin it. Or bring it.’ is also used in the latest iteration, which is live across cinema, TV, OLV, BVOD, online, social, OOH, and radio from this week.
303 Sydney Chief Strategy Officer Jody Elston said the new campaign hoped to change the behaviour of litterers who subconsciously throw away small items they think are harmless, particularly when there is no bin in sight.
“For many litterers, tossing away what they perceive as minor pieces of rubbish feels small, isolated and momentary. Once it leaves their hand, it’s effectively gone. But litter doesn’t disappear. It travels, accumulates, and ultimately ends up in our waterways, out of sight, and out of mind."
“This creates a critical behavioural disconnect: If people can’t see the consequences, they don’t feel responsible for it. That’s why this latest campaign follows the littering journey from being tossed onto a suburban street, to being washed down the gutter and into our waterways, to be confronted by an exasperated Groper swimming in a litter-created mess. Because what feels like one small act on land becomes something much bigger underwater.”
EPA CEO Nancy Chang said:
“Pollution often starts with litter dropped on streets, parks and beaches, before being washed through drains, rivers and waterways into the ocean. Once there, it can entangle wildlife, be mistaken for food, or break into harmful microplastics that spread throughout the food chain.
“That's why the NSW Government is bringing back its award-winning ‘Tosser’ campaign for another summer – the season when littering is at its highest. The campaign encourages people to take simple actions like binning their rubbish or bringing it with them, to help protect iconic species like our NSW state fish.”
303 Sydney Chief Creative Officer Bart Pawlak said:
“Blue Gropers are synonymous with New South Wales. They’re recognisable and a little love-able, making them ideally suited as ambassadors for our waterways. The ropable groper delivers an important behaviour change message at a time when people are getting ready to throw on the togs and start enjoying summer. And in the hands of none other than Bryan Brown, he does it with a level of laid-back authority that’s easy to accept. Besides, with David Field voicing the original angry magpie on land, we couldn’t resist bringing the band back together for a great cause."
Credits
EPA
Mark Pallot - Campaign and Behaviour Change Lead
Nick Rutherford - A/Marketing & Campaigns Lead
Stephen Hughes - Senior Marketing and Campaigns Advisor
303 Sydney
Joanna Gray – CEO
Jody Elston – Chief Strategy Officer
Bart Pawlak – Chief Creative Officer
Adam Whitehead – Creative Director
Henry Kember – Senior Writer
Kristian Saliba – Senior Art Director
Ben Glasson – Client Service Director
Head of Production – Skye Lanser
Broadcast Producer – Adrian Jung
Head of Design – Alby Furfaro
Production Partners
Rob Steele – Managing Director, ToyBox | InMotion Films
Andrew Newland – Animation Director, ToyBox
Vicki Oleary – Senior Producer, ToyBox
Sonar Music - Music and Sound
