Pepsi Bottle Lights
PepsiCo Philippines
Issue 23 | June 2012
Agency
BBDO Guerrero Proximity Philippines
Creative Team
David Guerrero, Dale Lopez, Dennis Nierra, Leah Mababangloob, Rachel Teotico, Raymund Sison, Tim Villela
Production Team
Dennis Billano, Marissa Manaloto, Zerg Aguilar
Other Credits
Account Management/Strategic Planning: Carmela Quirino, Cristina Buenaventura, Dalla Sucgang, Francine Gonzalez, Roshan Nandwani
Date
November 2011
Background
Pepsi was looking to extend its long-running ‘Sarap Magbago’ (change tastes good) campaign, providing real solutions to real problems that affect the environment, community and youth.
In the Philippines, where 40% of the population lives off less than $2 a day, daytime lighting is a scarce commodity for urban poor communities. Millions of homes have no natural light source so lights must be kept on day and night, causing electric bills to rise. More often than not, these families choose to live in the dark to keep their children fed. In the poorest areas, many have no electric light at all.
Idea
Working with My Shelter Foundation, Pepsi plastic bottles were transformed into instruments of change. Old bottles were filled with a mix of bleach and water and installed into holes made in the tin rooves of shanty homes.
The solution refracted the sunlight to provide 55W of light in the room below.
Pepsi helped instal over 20,000 lights through a combination of volunteer action, online donations and direct sponsorship, creating 20 new jobs for installers.
To spread the project, Pepsi helped establish a centre to train volunteers and educate companies, schools and people on how to install the lights.
Results
Over 10,000 volunteers were recruited and 20,000 bulbs installed, leading to 46,666 lives being brightened. The project was recognized at the 2012 PepsiCo Global Performance with Purpose Awards. It also gained the support of the Philippine government and was specially commended at the 2011 World Climate Conference. It was covered by BBC, NHK and other networks, and presented at TED X in Dubai and Mumbai. The project is now being spread to Kenya, Uganda, Indonesia, Vietnam, Mumbai and Colombia.
Our Thoughts
Another great piece of innovative thinking from Pepsi which is helping people live a better life. This one is strictly low tech, but certainly no less impressive. I’m not sure if this is advertising or simply wonderful humanitarian work, but sure wish I’d done it.