Yorkshire Water Launches Second Instalment of ‘Bin It. Don’t Block It’ Campaign

McCann Leeds has launched the second instalment of its flagship behavioural change campaign for Yorkshire Water; ‘Bin it. Don’t block it.’ following a successful first year. 

Prompted by a report from Yorkshire Water revealing that blockages caused 3,000 sewer floods across the region over three years - 244 of which occurred in people’s homes – McCann designed the campaign to educate Yorkshire Water customers and inspire lasting behavioural change.  

The agency developed a quirky and engaging creative concept featuring personality-filled toilet and kitchen sink sets, tapping into the fun and relatable items which mistakenly get rinsed or flushed down drains every day. 

In its first phase, ‘Bin it. Don’t block it.’ delivered significant results, reaching 44% of Yorkshire adults and contributed to an 18% reduction in soft blockages across the region, making a tangible impact on the community. 

Alison Hipkin, lead campaigns adviser at Yorkshire Water, said, “We were facing a huge problem and knew that we needed to shift perceptions of what you can and can’t put down the sink or flush and ultimately change the behaviours of our customers.”

A year on, the campaign has generated an impressive 394 million opportunities to see or hear its messaging, while maintaining a strong 40% recall rate. 

Building on this success, McCann Leeds’ media operation, UM Central, has followed up with a comprehensive multi-channel strategy. The media plan encompasses TV, radio, OOH, digital display, and social media, targeting audiences across the Yorkshire region. 

Gavin Shore, creative director at McCann Leeds, said, “We crafted hyper-stylised room scenes stickered with all the things you shouldn’t send down the drain. Connecting the toilet and the sink to tackle the out-of-sight, out-of-mind attitude that costs Yorkshire Water millions. Rather than ‘pointing the finger’ we wanted to educate, turning an ugly problem into a striking campaign.” 

Group managing director at UM Central, Kevin Murphy, added, “Our media team are excited to deliver this fantastic creative to Yorkshire Water's audience via a super smart, multi-media campaign that encompasses TV and hyper-targeted BVOD, OOH, social and more. We can't wait to see the results!”