Bottle Labels for MDGs

or

How to reach Young Modern Performers doing sports

Cake base

1st step - Establishing contacts to water companies

We had to find companies producing bottled water, and we had to set the conditions of our cooperation. For us it was important to get free bottled water, and to get half the space of the bottle label for our sticker. We offered them promotion of their brand. One of them agreed, and then we could go further.

2nd step – Designing labels

The next step was creating a label, so we needed a slogan and design. We needed a really catchy slogan and advice for YMPs. We had a brainstorming session and decided on the slogan ‘You are lucky’. This message is defiant and and at the same time it makes readers curious about the why, so they continue reading. Also, it implies a connection between Global North and Global South. This is what we wanted for addressing YMPs.  

We also wanted a picture connected with the lack of water on the Earth, and a piece of information about how to save water in our everyday life. The advice was 'Closing the tap while brushing your teeth can save 20.000 litres of water per year and help 2.000 children in Africa survive'. We asked a graphic designer for her ideas, and then we just had to wait for the final result of her work.

3rd step - Preparing online information

Getting YMPs to notice development topics is one thing. But for a change of lifestyle and the active contribution of YMPs (and any other target group), concrete advice is needed on changes of lifestyle. And this advice does not fit on a single label for a bottle. So we connected offline information with online information on the topic. We started our 'Lifestyle for MDGs' Facebook page with previous actions for YMPs. It is quite easy to start one - the hardest part is to maintain it up to date, and stay in touch with guests. So we wrote articles and news on the topic of water consumption and scarcity, to be ready when the action started.

4th step - Choosing locations

Meanwhile we needed to find places to distribute the bottles. Part of our team was totally focused on the research. The aim was to find places where YMPs spend their leisure time with sports and health care. We found exclusive gyms, fitness clubs, hairdressing salons, beauty salons, saunas and spas where YMPs are clients every day. We proposed to them to leave our bottles in receptions or changing rooms.

5th step – Preparing the bottles

Final design of the labels:

MDGs logo, slogan saying ‘you are lucky’; Facebook link; picture of desert; the advice for YMPs: 'Closing the tap while brushing your teeth can save 20.000 litres of water per year and help 2.000 children in Africa survive'; and our organisation logo, EU logo, and statement.

When the sticker was ready and the water was delivered, we had to stick our labels on the bottles and allocate them to actual places. Two volunteers stuck the labels on the bottles manually. We needed a car and two volunteers to deliver the final product to the selected places.