Birdhouses

Background

The climate. The beginning of the winter was really too hot. With temperatures of around 12°, birds thought it was spring already. But then winter did show up and really hit the country at a time when the construction industry was gearing itself up for Batibouw, the biggest trade fair in Belgium by far for the building industry.

Idea

When temperatures stay below zero for days on end as they did in early 2013, conditions are very hard for birds.

However, Xtratherm is an important supplier of insulation panelling to the house-building industry. The idea, then, was to get the industry thinking of Xtratherm before the trade show and get the brand noticed by the people of Belgium by creating little insulated houses for the creatures that needed warmth urgently – the birds.

30 bird boxes were built and placed in various locations in and around Antwerp.

Results

The story was quickly picked up by the national press, helping to spread awareness of Xtratherm, and the birdhouses themselves provided shelter for many birds. Whether any have actually nested within them, only Spring will tell. 

Our Thoughts

You make a product that is invisible because it gets bricked over, painted over, papered over, and you make a product no-one really cares about, even though it is vital in helping you live a comfortable life. So what do you do to make your own workforce feel good about the company, let alone the people you supply to? You have an idea like this. Total cost, minuscule. Total ROI, measurable but in terms of smiles, warmth and name recognition, huge.

I love the fact that this is just a simple demo of the product.