Cessnock City Council (CCC) has launched the Better not mess with Cessnock campaign to target illegal dumping in the region.

The campaign, which was developed in collaboration with the NSW Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Wild and Free Media, is designed to evoke local pride and raise community awareness for the escalating issue. A combination of digital, print and bus advertising featuring local scenery and icons has been created to encourage residents to take a stance on illegal dumping.

Illegal dumping urgently needed to be addressed to ensure the town stays clean. CCC has already implemented various initiatives such as the Report Illegal Dumping (RID) squad in 2014 and providing ratepayers with four 500kg tip passes annually – the equivalent of two tonnes per year. Despite these efforts, illegal dumping still remains a significant problem for the town.

Cessnock City Council chose Wild and Free Media to develop, execute and manage the campaign. Combining hard-hitting figures with bold promotional materials, Wild and Free Media sought to highlight the facts, while encouraging locals to take pride in their community.

Managing Director of Wild and Free Media, Vesna Kirkovski said the campaign was designed to have a strong impact on local community members.

“We really wanted the messaging of this campaign to have a strong impact, which is why we developed the concept of incorporating notable members of the community,” Vesna said.

We look forward to seeing how the campaign influences future behaviours in the Cessnock community.”

The Better not mess with Cessnock campaign will run for 12 months in the hopes that the community will take action against illegal dumping of rubbish.

Wild and Free Media is a full service, integrated marketing and advertising agency which aims to offer innovative, strategic and creative communications.

IMAGE |The Better not mess with Cessnock campaign features local scenery and Hunter icons.