"Tinplate is a packaging that is life-sustaining and is 100 per cent recyclable’

Innovation in promotion                                                                                                 The Tinplate Company of India (TCIL) has, in the recent years, undertaken several innovative initiatives to promote tinplate among consumers, and the latest in its list was the unique promotional campaign at Spencer’s on World Environment Day.

The message- ‘Tinplate is a packaging that is life-sustaining and is 100 per cent recyclable’ — was the message TCIL wanted to drive into the minds of consumers, who today are very environment-conscious. The venue - TCIL selected Spencer’s hypermarket at South City, Kolkata, which is the largest in West Bengal and the footfall on weekends is anywhere between 15,000 and 20,000. It was the right spot to reach out to a large mass under one roof.

Enthused consumers

The campaign
There was no better way to communicate tinplate's eco-friendliness than by personifying it and that is what TCIL did. With a combination of ingenious costume designing and two cheerful boys, the ‘Tin Can Man’ was created. One was placed at the entrance of the hypermarket welcoming all with a broad smile, chocolates and cute little badges that read, ‘Tin cans for a greener future’, and one at the exit, thanking each consumer with a chocolate as they left the store. The initiative drew the attention of every consumer to the message TCIL wanted to communicate. Adding to the message of eco-friendliness were the store employees with badges smartly pinned on their dress.

Everyone loves gifts and if they are surprises, it is all the more fun. All the women spotted wearing green were given a surprise gift — a beautiful heart-shaped tin can filled with heart-shaped chocolates. Each of the cans contained a small booklet containing everything about tinplate a consumer would want to know.

The response
The campaign — the first B2C campaign for TCIL — was a big hit. Consumers, especially children, were amused by the Tin Can Man. They not only demanded the badges but also made it a point to wear them as they entered the store, a demeanour reflective of the new environment-friendly consumer.

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