Client: Alcan Aluminium Can Recycling
PR team: Brahm Public Relations
Campaign: Strathclyde 999 Smoke Alarm Appeal
Timescale: Ongoing from September 1993
Budget: pounds 3,500 to date
The region of Strathclyde had one of the worst fire fatality records in
Europe until the Strathclyde Fire Brigade launched an initiative to
install smoke alarms in local homes in 1990. In 1993 the recycling
division of aluminium group Alcan UK, offered to support the campaign by
donating a penny to the Strathclyde Fire Brigade for each used aluminium
can handed in by the public.
Objectives
Alcan’s primary objective was to raise the level of can recycling at its
Glasgow centre and to highlight can recycling as an effective fund-
raising activity for charitable organisations. Strathclyde Fire Brigade
wished to lower the level of fatalities in the region as well as raising
its profile as a community service.
Tactics
Brahm PR, Alcan Recycling’s retained agency, calculated a ratio of 999
used aluminium drink cans to three smoke alarms, providing the appeal
with a simple association between recycling and the emergency services.
During the campaign, the Fire Brigade’s own fire fighters worked with
community organisations to fit the alarms, while fire stations in the
area acted as drop-off points to supplement the existing Alcan
collection
A media launch organised at Strathclyde Fire Brigade Headquarters in
September 1993, was followed by a series of milestone events, involving
local celebrities such including ex-Rangers and Scotland football player
and TV personality Derek Johnstone, who headed up the appeal’s first
year anniversary, and footballer Phil O’Donnell who fronted this year’s
anniversary promotions. Support was also enlisted from Radio Clyde, who
continue to postscript news and weather reports with appeal updates and
prompts.
Results
Over one million aluminium drink cans have been donated to the Appeal,
representing more than seven per cent of the Glasgow centre’s total can
volume. This hasprovided funding for over three thousand smoke alarms -
enough for the Strathclyde fire fighter to fit out the entire island of
Bute on 23 November.
According to Rab Coke, assistant firemaster at Strathclyde Fire Brigade,
the number of households in the area with smoke detectors has risen from
60 per cent and data from the Fire Brigade shows that the number of
fire-related deaths fell by 35 per cent during the campaign. Brahm PR
claim that media coverage has secured over six million ‘opportunities
to see’.
Verdict
While results for the Fire Brigade can also beattributable to other fire
safety initiatives, this was a very successful low-budget campaign that
has been used as a blueprint by both parties in other regions including
Cleveland and Greater Manchester, while also netting an IPR Certificate
of Excellence.
