DDB, an advertising agencies that specializes in creative experiences, has harnessed the power of oranges for their Tropicana campaign. Using the product’s very ingredients to run the electricity for the billboard that advertises it, the French Tropicana ad reads “Energie Naturelle” (Natural Energy) and is lit in neon lighting. The alternative energy resource comes from an electrochemical reaction using the acid from the oranges as the catalyst.
The billboard, which is stacked high with hundreds of oranges, took three months to construct. Reminiscent of a high school chemistry experiment, the first step was to create a gridwork of copper and zinc spikes to line the board. The spikes act as fasteners, keeping the oranges in place vertically. But the spikes also create the power – or more specifically, the oranges’ acidic electrochemical reaction with the copper and zinc spikes – making the billboard a giant self-sustaining battery.
The clever campaign’s billboard, being entirely off the grid, can be wheeled to any area, with or without electricity hook ups nearby. DDB accompanied it with a great video ad, which shows the the scientific process (presumably with “scientists” played by cute actors) – from the first step of connecting two oranges with wires to a tiny bulb, to the construction of the final billboard. Orange-eating breaks were taken, of course. The advertisement is effective as it uses an actual science experiment, which proves the power that oranges possess to the consumer. The message is that if an orange can power an eco-billboard, imagine the energy it can give your body!
+ DDB
Via Coolest Gadgets Images © DDB Video
