Why Not Us? A recycling campaign that puts the people of Alessandria and Valenza centre stage
With the “Why Not Us?” campaign, Consorzio di Bacino Alessandrino – the Alessandria District Waste Consortium, together with the municipalities of Alessandria and Valenza, Amag Ambiente and AMV – Azienda Multiservizi Valenza, launched an awareness initiative designed to improve everyday recycling habits and support the correct disposal of waste.
The project stemmed from the need to move beyond the more traditional language of institutional communication, choosing instead an approach that felt closer to people and to the everyday life of the communities involved. This led to the idea of building a campaign around real faces, direct messaging and a simple yet immediately engaging question: “Why Not Us?” A headline designed to spark comparison, recognition and participation, drawing on the power of positive example and a shared sense of community.
The campaign was developed to engage both Alessandria and Valenza, with tailored subjects and visuals for each area, in order to highlight local identity and make the communication more credible, recognisable and effective.
The project in detail
The project involved developing the creative concept, the communication and outreach strategy, and the campaign’s core messages, all built around a tone of voice that was positive, direct and lightly ironic.
The rollout was structured through an integrated mix of tools and channels: public billboards in 6×3 and 70×100 formats, posters and postcards, digital content for channels such as posts, stories and reels, as well as informational materials linked to a QR code and a dedicated website — https://perchenoino.consorziorsu.al.it/ — designed to support residents with practical, day-to-day guidance.
Alongside the online and offline communication activities, the project also included direct engagement opportunities with local residents, with the aim of clearly explaining the correct way to sort and dispose of waste and fostering a more immediate relationship with the organisations behind the service.
Our contribution
Amapola supported the Alessandria District Waste Consortium in the design, development and implementation of the campaign, shaping both its strategic and narrative framework and its rollout across the different communication touchpoints.
More specifically, Amapola developed the concept, the key messages, the overall coordination of the campaign and its translation into a communication approach capable of combining public utility, engagement and local identity. The project was developed in partnership with Bewe and with the support of Paolo Bernardotti Studio for the photographic production.
The result was a campaign in which sustainability is not communicated in abstract terms, but instead takes shape through the faces and voices of the people who live in these communities every day. An approach that strengthens the effectiveness of the public message and helps turn recycling from a simple service instruction into a shared act of civic responsibility.
