Park&Co

How we helped raise the topic of air quality jumped from number four to the top environmental concern among Phoenicians

People used to move to Phoenix because of our excellent air quality. The dry, desert environment brought people from all over the world to visit or relocate to this sunny side of the country. But with all that growth, it was only a matter of time before our Valley fell victim to its own success. By 2006, a brown cloud of crud had settled over Phoenix, and with the feds threatening to pull highway funds because of it, Maricopa County decided it was time to wake people up to the smog problem. And because of our success with the "Water - Use it Wisely" water conservation campaign, they came to us to help sound the alarm.

For such a huge issue, the root of the Valley's pollution problem is microscopic. Particulates (miniscule flecks of dust, dirt, smoke and soot) come from all walks of life - cars, wood fires, construction sites - and mix together to form a perfect recipe for a host of lung ailments, like asthma and bronchitis. Despite being a serious risk to their health, research found that air quality ranked as only the fourth most important public issue in the minds of Phoenicians. Valley residents were aware of growing pollution levels and felt partially responsible, but few thought there was any hope of reversing the trend. Our Bring Back Blue campaign directly addressed these attitudes, giving citizens a call to action that would get them thinking positively about the future and give them an active role in shaping it.

First, we needed to symbolize the problem and the campaign. After much debate, we couldn't think of a better way to stir up awareness of particulate pollution and its ill effects than with the dust mask we might all soon be wearing if nothing were done. Dust masks (large dust masks) were employed to hammer home the seriousness of particulate pollution and foreshadow a potentially bleak future for Valley health and fashion if the brown cloud wasn't brought down. Print and outdoor ads wrapped masks across a skuzzy Valley skyline, while newspaper ads wrapped them over the worst particulate contributors, such as cars, leaf blowers, ATVs and chimneys. We didn't stop until we'd wrapped a mask around the county building downtown. Literally. Now that gets attention.

Our TV and radio spots put faces and voices to those most affected by airborne particulates: children and seniors. Asthmatic kids dreamed of the way things could be, while seniors with bronchitis reminisced about the way they once were. All ad executions pointed the public to the heart of Bring Back Blue: the campaign website. Bringbackblue.com served to explain what particulate pollution is, how it affects the Valley and its residents, what behaviors contribute to it, and how Phoenicians could make a difference by pledging to change their dust-generating behaviors.

The boldness of Bring Back Blue helped to shock Phoenicians into awareness and action. The campaign was successful in taking air quality from fourth to first on the list of environmental concerns among Valley residents. It'll take time before the brown cloud disappears entirely, but at least now, citizens know how and why they should bring back blue.

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