Project Bernie

Category Social design
Client South Wales Fire and Rescue Service (SWFRS)
Agency / Designer Internal Media & Communications (Design)

Brief

Each year over 7,000 deliberate grass fires in Wales devastate the environment and put lives and communities at risk - annual cost to SWFRS is £7m. The problem peaks during the Spring “grassfire season” - Easter holidays. SWFRS commissioned a social marketing campaign, to reduce grassfire incidents in the high risk area of Tonypandy to limit opportunities for fire-setting. Create primary brand with supporting secondary designs that will resignate with the target audience.

Result

Evaluation of Bernie 2010 concluded that 1 in 6 youngsters from Tonypandy Community College took part in a Bernie activity This can be attributed to an engagement by the target audience of the brand and supporting campaign materials. Statistical analysis showed that Tonypandy had a 45% reduction in fires and direct savings to SWFRS from reduced fires in Tonypandy were *£285,655 (figures that exclude the knock on benefits) *The total project cost £166,614

Solution

SWFRS worked with Tonypandy Community College. Research revealed that it was a commonplace behaviour among local youngsters, seen as boredom and thrill-seeking A competition was designed with the winning design - Bernie the Sheep (logo) and ‘Grass is Green, Fire is Mean’ (strapline). These were used as a foundation to develop the primary brand Media, Campaign Messages and activities were created i.e. social media, website (www.bernie.uk.com), advertising/activities (Bushcraft Bernie)