You and I live in a time that, from a historical perspective, is unlike anything humans have experienced in the 200,000 years we've been around. We’ve become the most significant driving force for change on our planet, transitioning from a small world on a vast planet to a large world on a small planet.

After conducting in-depth quantitative analyses of the drivers behind our target audience's choice, we recognized the need to strengthen the sustainability association with our brand. The Transition Hot Dog is a playful comment to the climate debate but is also a direct and serious statement.

Pressbyrån is Sweden's largest convenience store chain, with approximately 300 stores across the country. The majority of our sales come from consumers in need of quick energy replenishment when they're on the go, such as coffee, soda, hot dogs, wraps, pastries, and more. After conducting in-depth quantitative analyses of the drivers behind our target audience's choice to shop at Pressbyrån, we recognized the need to strengthen the sustainability association with the Pressbyrån brand. Sustainability is an increasingly influential factor in consumers' decisions on where to shop.

Our task, therefore, was to create an initiative that positions Pressbyrån as a more sustainable choice, ultimately driving the desire to purchase and pay for Pressbyrån's products.

Meat production and its associated activities, such as fertilization, transportation, deforestation, and feed production, account for a significant portion of global greenhouse gas emissions. Researchers estimate this to be up to 15%, which is more than twice the emissions caused by all cars in the world. Therefore, we want to make it easier for our customers to gradually consume less meat and thereby contribute to a more sustainable planet.

Since all companies are trying to convey how sustainable they are, we were looking for a "show don't tell" idea that would also make a real difference. An ad campaign wouldn't do it.

Creating a hot dog that converts meat eaters into vegetarians met all our criteria. Together with Peas of Heaven, one of Sweden's largest producers of plant-based food, we made the world's first sausage where a consumer can seamlessly transition from meat to green and, in doing so, go through the process that our entire society needs to undergo, bite by bite. We wanted our idea to be a playful contribution to the debate, so people would be willing to embrace it, but our idea also carries a serious message: that we all need to make a change.

The Transition Hot Dog solved our challenge within five bites.

The target audience can be defined as people on the move, aged 18-70 years, all across Sweden. In an ongoing brand tracking study, we observed that sustainability is increasingly important in influencing what and where the audience chooses to shop. Therefore, we recognized the importance for Pressbyrån to strengthen its sustainability association, not only to maintain its premium pricing but also to continue attracting spontaneous purchases.

In response, we adopted an innovative approach by focusing on one of Pressbyrån's iconic products, the hot dog. This strategy generated attention while authentically showcasing Pressbyrån's commitment to sustainability, not only to uphold premium pricing but also to continue attracting spontaneous purchases. Our PR-driven approach emphasized concrete sustainability efforts over vague statements, allowing us to reach a significant portion of the target audience with a relevant message at a remarkably low cost per contact. This initiative effectively pushed the sustainability agenda across the industry.

Since we operated in the borderland between food and sustainability, we could choose an art work ranging from food poetry to classic "environmental green" imagery. When we studied our competitors' advertisements, we chose a completely different path. We went 100 percent tech, and our inspiration came more from the tech industry than from the world of food and sustainability. To generate buzz, we initially launched The Transition Hot Dog with a teaser that went online. The actual launch was timed to coincide with the release of the iPhone 15, which gave our hot dog a significant boost in media coverage. Given our near-zero media budget, we placed advertisements both outdoors near the point of purchase and online, where we knew our target audience was located.

Despite having an almost non-existent media budget, 'The Transition Hot Dog' managed to reach a significant 26% of Pressbyrån's very broad target audience. The message was not only well-received but also well-liked, with an ad liking score of 71% and a message comprehension rate of 79%.

Moreover, we successfully achieved brand objectives, including:

• Association with Sustainability for Pressbyrån: +10 percentage points or 22% higher among those who saw the advertisement compared to those who did not.

• Association with Innovation for Pressbyrån: +11 percentage points or 22% higher among those who observed the advertisement compared to those who didn't.

• Price Premium for Pressbyrån: +18 percentage points or 45% higher among those who observed the advertisement compared to those who didn't.

Most importantly:

• Motivation to shop at Pressbyrån: Increased by 15 percentage points, making it 32% higher among those who observed the advertisement compared to those who didn't.