Kids and E.ON Are on a Quest to Fight Air Pollution

Across the UK, many towns and cities are affected by illegal levels of air pollution. “It’s time to clean the air,” says one of the country‘s largest energy suppliers, E.ON. Committed to leading the energy transition, the brand is bringing customers energy solutions designed to switch to an eco-friendlier future.

We once said that not all heroes wear capes. But, on second thought and after seeing E.ON’s latest initiative “Air Heroes,” we believe that there are superheroes who keep their capes visible, putting them to use in their quest to save the world from the life-threatening villains we confront every day. And there is a highly skilled army of children ready to help E.ON in its war against air pollution.

To help complete the mission against the “polluvillain” are also the agency Engine Creative and fashion brand Scamp & Dude, joining forces to develop a superpowered cape that enables kids — as well as their parents — to take action and destroy air pollution. The “E.ON x Scamp & Dude Air Heroes” capes endow children with the power to help the environment take a deep breath of fresh air while on their walk to school.

Keeping the air clean is simple with this cape as it contains an innovative, patented fabric developed by theBreath®, enabling the textile to trap pollution molecules and prevent them from being released. Next, the harmful particles are being absorbed and broken up, allowing the breathable air to continue its cycle. A cape is able to remove two petrol or four diesel cars’ worth of pollution over a year.

The capes’ launch is accompanied by the “Air Heroes” film, a short video showcasing a little girl on her way to school. But suddenly, her walk is disturbed by a giant pollution monster, which the girl easily defeats thanks to her superpowered cape. The duo will continue their fight on social media and digital executions as well, while supporting activity is planned with podcasters and influencers.

The campaign also sees the energy supplier joining forces with Cartoon Network and Boomerang to design a series of idents and a special collaboration with Teen Titans Go! Besides, working with Learn by Design, E.ON plans to deliver a lesson to primary school-aged kids to help them learn about air pollution.

“We wanted to create a campaign that would raise the awareness of air pollution in a fun and engaging way and inspire parents and children to think about the small steps they can take on a daily basis to help clean the air in our communities. We’re delighted to have teamed up with fashion brand Scamp & Dude to create the Air Heroes capes and we hope together we can empower children and parents to become Air Heroes and make a difference. It’s all part of our wider commitment to driving the energy transition, giving us all a cleaner and greener future,” Scott Somerville, Head of Brand and Marketing at E.ON, explains.

Scamp & Dude was born out of the brand’s founder Jo Tutchener-Sharp‘s will to help kids feel safe when apart from their loved ones. But in addition to designing clothes that empower children, the brand has sustainability at its core, which is why E.ON found the brand as a perfect partner to work with on this ambitious mission.

Speaking about the initiative, the founder said: “At Scamp & Dude, our mission is to fill people with superpowers. With many children worrying about air pollution, it seemed like a perfect fit to create an exclusive design that would not only look great but help to make a genuine difference. The E.ON x Scamp & Dude Air Heroes capes bring together our signature print with a magic ingredient — the technical fabric — to supercharge children across the nation.”

Ross Newton, Creative Director at Engine Creative, said: “Even though it’s virtually invisible, we wanted to show kids that car pollution is out there and it’s an enemy that needs to be destroyed. We also wanted to convince them that they can take action themselves and be as powerful as the superheroes they admire in comics and films. By following that superhero visual style, we knew we would instantly engage them, and then it was simply a case of explaining how they can fight pollution and create cleaner and safer air for everyone.”

Engine Creative also worked on E.ON’s 2019 award-winning campaign, which included a giant pair of lungs monitoring London’s air pollution. The idea behind the “Air Heroes” initiative is to go beyond education and actually get involved in reducing air pollution, particularly around schools where the problem is fueled by idling cars.

Fortunately, based on research the brand carried out on 2,000 participants (parents and children), it was revealed that 94% of the kids questioned are keen to help reduce air pollution. And with E.ON on the same team, they can: The campaign also includes a competition, where moms and dads can win capes for their kids and their colleagues, thus enabling them to have a fun walk and fight invisible villains on their way to school.