Australia is not the best recycling country in the world. We’re 21st with a 41% recycling rate. Belong, Australia’s first carbon neutral telco, and its agency, Howatson+Company are helping us to improve. They’ve created the Second Life Phones initiative, an eco-friendly alternative to purchasing a brand-new device.
The program sources the best pre-owned smart phones, expertly refurbishes them and offers them at a great price.
Every aspect of Belong’s Second Life Phones initiative removes the perceived compromise of purchasing a refurbished device. All phones are restored b recycling company, Kingfisher, across a multi-point check, ensuring 100% functionality and battery performance at an 80% minimum of new. The packaging is 100% recycled and has been designed to provide the buyer with the same satisfaction of opening a brand-new device.
Belong head of product and marketing, Aaliah Eggins-Bryson, stated, “too many Australians believe mobile phones have no material impact on the environment than other things in their lives but in fact, every year, the world throws away around 44.7 million tonnes of tech. This is why we’ve launched Second Life Phones; because the most sustainable phone is the one that already exists.”
The launch film, directed by Owen Trevor Black at Rabbit, uses the tropes of typical phone launches, gloriously showcasing an old man’s forehead instead of the tech, to ask the question “why not consider life on a refurbished phone, which can be used in the same way as a new one?”.
Howatson+Company executive creative director, Gavin Chimes, commentedm “It has been amazing to work as partners with the brilliant Belong team to bring this program to life. We’re proud to be providing an alternative to unconscious tech upgrades. And when you consider what most of us use our phones for – brunch pics, baby spam, screaming goat videos – you probably won’t know the difference. But the planet will.”
The Second Life Phones campaign includes a 45-second launch film, with 30-, 15- and 6-second cutdowns across YouTube, OLV and social. The campaign will extend to OOH in the coming months.
Second life phones are available to order online. Every phone from the Second Life Shop comes with a free Belong SIM card with $80 credit.
Credits
Client: Belong
Agency: Howatson+Company
Founder & Chief Executive Officer: Chris Howatson
Chief Creative Officer: Levi Slavin
Executive Creative Director: Gavin Chimes
Head of Production: Holly Alexander
Creative Directors: Jared Wicker, Elaine Li & Daniel Bolton
Design Lead: Reece Lawson
Group Business Director: Ollie Wearne
Business Director: Angela Lethbridge
Senior Business Manager: Maddy Phillips
Media Strategy: Howatson+Company
Media Trading: OMD
Production Company: Rabbit
Director: Owen Trevor Black
Executive Producer: Lucas Jenner
Associate Executive Producer: Marcus Butler
DOP: Peter Eastgate
Offline Edit: Arc Edit
Editor: Drew Thompson
Post Executive Producer: Daniel Fry
Post Production: White Chocolate
Grade: Fergus Rotherham
3D & VFX: Stage23
Sound Design & Audio Production: Rumble Studios
Music by Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio
Casting Director: Felicity Byrne
