J. Walter Thompson Paris have taken a very literal approach in a bold new campaign that aims to make people think about the CO2 emissions caused by the thousands of cars that make needless small trips every day in ski resorts around the world. Focusing specifically on the idyllic Mont Blanc valley, the campaign underlines the fact that cars burn up to 4 times the amount of fuel in such towns because of the cold temperatures. This problem is further worsened by the high altitude, which traps the C02, contaminates the snow, and threatens the health of the animals, plants, and inhabitants of the mountain. However, in the majority of resorts, free shuttles are at the disposal of tourists and residents.
So, in collaboration with the Mountain Riders association, JWT asked themselves how best to alert the public and change their behaviour? On December 11 this year (the UN International Mountain Day) they struck upon an inspired answer and decided to make the mountain’s voice heard by creating the “Untouchable Cars” campaign, which revolves around beautifully crafted snow sculptures of some of the animals whose habitats are threatened by the needless pollution. The really inspired piece of the puzzle, however, came when the agency decided to build the sculptures on top of some offending vehicles, leaving their owners scare to tough them, lest they spoil the magical constructions.
Using fresh snow as their only material, and with the help of 9 snow sculptors, dozens of cars were recovered and transformed into a spectacular public awareness project that has caused some serious waves on social media over the weekend via the #UNTOUCHABLECARS hashtag. This both poetic and eco-friendly initiative hopes to trigger a real behavioural shift among drivers, and to raise awareness far beyond the Mont Blanc valley.
