As the Covid-19 pandemic continues to change the way we live our lives, more and more brands have taken a step back, to consider how they can meet their customers’ needs in unique and effective ways. Along with this, brands are more conscious than ever about the impact their work has on the environment, which has a direct implication for every element of their work – including the choices they make for their outdoor advertising campaigns.
A perfect example of this is PressOn and Harrods’ collaboration on the hoardings for their new ‘personal shopping’ service – a set of large format prints which advertise an innovative retail solution, while taking active steps to ensure an environmentally-responsible and thoughtful approach to outdoor advertising.
What is the ‘Personal Shopping’ campaign?
In 2020, PressOn worked with Harrods to create a set of hoardings to advertise their innovative new ‘personal shopping’ service – a proposition which blends the iconic department store’s bespoke and individualistic retail experience with the convenience of online shopping.
As a physical retail space, Harrods have a world-leading reputation for immersive, unique, and experiential shopping. The department store is immaculately presented and maintained, with memorable and impactful aesthetic design. However, during the pandemic, like countless other shops, Harrods have had to close their doors to the public during lengthy periods of lockdown.
Their new personal shopping experience offers customers a chance to take advantage of their bespoke, tailored experience, via the provision of a remote personal shopper, ready to liaise in person with the consumer. With remote delivery of items hand-selected to suit each individual customer, this new offering is convenient, innovative, and maintains Harrods impeccable standards.
What did the campaign involve?
To launch this new initiative, Harrods made use of a number of different advertising channels, including large format outdoor advertising. Having collaborated on numerous previous projects together, PressOn were contracted to provide hoarding graphics for a construction project on a section
While these hoardings were required to meet Harrods’ high standards of quality visually and practically, they also are a standout example of how large format printing is moving away from its more environmentally detrimental past. In fact, the hoardings that were printed and installed for Harrods are part of wider growth, as PressOn have now accomplished a zero landfill status.
This is a significant development in the world of print, and being able to offer outdoor advertising and printing solutions in a more socially and environmentally conscious manner is an important goal for the industry, as both clients’ and the wider public’s expectations in this regard increase.
How did PressOn reduce the environmental impact?
There are several factors that go into ensuring a large format print project offers a more sustainable solution. In this case, PressOn used a carefully-selected combination of materials, machinery, and processes to ensure that from initial conception to eventual removal, Harrods’ hoardings would have a low-environmental impact.
The ACM used for the panels was sourced from a UK manufacturer, which is an important step in supply chain management to reduce carbon footprints. The supplier for the ACM was also carefully selected, as they offer a ‘take back service’ at end of life, recycling – rather than disposing of – the ACM.
The graphics themselves were produced using one of PressOn’s HP Latex printers. These cutting-edge machines operate using water-based – rather than solvent – inks, which produce far fewer VOCs (volatile organic compounds), resulting in significantly-reduced emissions. These machines use UV-curing, rather heat, to dry the inks – which is a faster, less harmful process.
The final consideration for a project like this is disposal – when a print campaign is completed, if the supplier has used the right materials, and has the right processes in place, it’s possible to ensure that no products or materials are sent to landfill. PressOn is a zero-landfill supplier, meaning that when projects (such as this set of hoardings for Harrods) are completed, all waste is either recycled, or sorted for energy recovery.
The End Results
With all of these steps taken to ensure the printing process was less-environmentally impactful, Harrods were able to advertise their innovative retail solution in a socially conscious and environmentally responsible way. This kind of approach will become vital for brands who want to stay ahead of the curve, with environmental considerations a crucial element in the print industry of the future.
