The campaign delivered simple message “batteries are dangerous, they need to be recycled and this process is easy for you” as well as generated a direct respond:

1. 8000 batteries collected during first month and transported to recycling factory

2. By earned media coverage, the problem has been raised publicly

3. Immediate respond and interest from potential investors leading to future development of the idea:

-We already received an order for 50 Think Machines from retail chains, meaning 50 collection points will be spread all over the country in huge malls.

-We also got orders from eastern Europe where the problem is similar.

Russia is not the most eco aware country in the world.

Over 15 million batteries and accumulators are just thrown away every year.

And though people don’t even think about the problem, just 1 battery can pollute more than 20 square meters of the ground with heavy metals.

Battery recycling process simply doesn’t exist in Russia.

The Process

1. We never had huge budgets

2. We bought a used vending machine

3. We found a talented geek from St Petersburg

4. He made it work with batteries

5. His soft is now used by retailers which are producing Think Machines

Results:

1. The first Think Machine launched, collected 8000 batteries in just a month (vs 1000 batteries as an average per month in Russia)

2. All these batteries were transported to recycling factory in Chelyabinsk city, which is the only one that works on this problem

3. The campaign got a lot of earned media both local and global: Channel 1 Russia, Euronews, TV3 russia, Moscow 24 TV channels. Metro, PSFK, W&V magazines and many others

4. After getting the publicity, we received many investment offers which already leaded to 50 machines to be installed by 2 major retail chains across Russia

5. We also got interest from Volkswagen dealers in eastern Europe and are negotiating the Think Machines to be installed there as well

6. The campaign has raised the issue among eco officials in Russia, who are now aware that there is only one recycling factory in the whole country and there is no process of delivering the batteries there

7. Our main target for next year is to install as many Think Machines as possible, as well as to build the process of delivering batteries to the factory