Nando’s “Carbon Jargon” Campaign

The Brief

In response to the climate crisis, Nando’s wanted to show their support for the COP 26 gathering that was held in Scotland during the closing months of 2021. This is where Nando’s reached out to IPOS to help organise a store takeover and a two day event in their Glasgow flagship restaurant. The installation needed to remain in place for the two week stretch that COP26 conference took place.

Nando’s wanted to help educate younger people by breaking down the jargon that has become synonymous with the climate crisis. Phrases such as Carbon neutral, net zero, green washing and deforestation are all used constantly but what do they actually mean and how can they be explained in a fun and engaging way?

The Process

IPOS jumped feet first into this project as it is everyone’s responsibility to look after the planet but we knew that a simple written explanation of the key jargon terms wouldn’t cut it. We would have to appeal to the target audience and make the campaign stand out above all the visual noise that surrounds the busy city location. After multiple meetings IPOS discovered that the project would run alongside a digital campaign that was launching online and social channels during the same timeframe. As the in-house team at Nando’s had commissioned the amazing illustrative work of Alice and the Ink we decided that utilising these bespoke artworks would be a perfect way to draw attention to the window displays.

Another area where IPOS discovered an opportunity to create awareness of the campaign was the waiting area in the entrance of the restaurant. Having a somewhat captive audience, this space lent itself perfectly to the 3D hologram units that really created that ‘stop and look’ moment. The bespoke unit played 3D motion graphics that created the illusion of levitating objects, graphics and text, all designed in-house at IPOS. The display was encased with glass and contained supporting vinyl messaging, as well as a QR code that directed viewers to the Nando’s website.

The below animations give a flat 2D representation of the content the device played:

One of the most important factors for consideration with this, and many of the other projects that IPOS undertake, was the material choice for each element being created. All outputs needed to be eco-friendly, responsibly sourced and have a prolonged or multi-purpose lives. This is where the use of Green cast acrylic, recycled foam, PVC-free vinyl and water-based inks, in conjunction with thoughtful logistics, all added up to ensure the impact on the environment was kept to a minimum.

The Outcome

After an incredible two week installation and two day event, Nando’s were extremely happy with the response and felt that this type of takeover was something that could be replicated in the future. The plant-based menu tasting, screen-printing workshop, art exhibition, Booth Truths screening all saw a fantastic uptake and helped raise awareness of what the brand is setting out to do in order to achieve a Net zero status by 2030. The Carbon Jargon webpage on Nando’s site also recorded and increase in interest reflected by the traffic sent to the page.

Take a look at the images captured during the event to see how all the hard work came together to create a takeover that was not only a blast but also informed participants of important global issues.