Publicis One Nederlan found a rather interesting way to call attention to the problem of chewing gum litter in the Netherlands.
The agency teamed up with Gum-Tecto turn recycled chewing gum found on the streets of Amsterdam into what it claims is “The first shoe ever made from chewing gum” for the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area. Designed by local shoe brand Explicit Wear and featuring a map of Amsterdam on the sole, the Gumshoes will be sold at Hudson’s Bay Amsterdam at the end of June and help raise awareness of the environmental issue.
According to a case study video, 1.5 million kilograms of gum end up on streets in the Netherlands per year. Beyond the obvious pollution issue, this also proves detrimental to local animals, as gum can stick around for 20-25 years, suffocating animals in the process.
The video explains that the process of creating the shoes involved cleaning the streets for gum and turning it into a new type of rubber. According to a press release, they discovered that “Chewing gum appears to be very suitable material to make a new type of rubber.”
“The surprise factor of the Gumshoe is an important aspect of this campaign. Amsterdam Metropolitan Area wants to show people all the beauty the city has to offer. More rules and regulations to fight the chewing gum problem would only be contrary to their mission,” Publicis One creative director Mischa Schreuder said in a statement. “Eventually it’s all about experiencing the city at its best. That’s why we want to surprise and inspire Amsterdam locals with the Gumshoe. In addition to increasing awareness, this will also create sympathy and genuine motivation to solve the chewing gum problem together. This way, we will gain much more impact.”
“We are committed every day to offer people a good recreation, living and working experience in the capital of the Netherlands. Our city has a lot to offer, especially when the streets are clean. Chewing gum on the streets bothers many people, but it is still thrown on the street. It is time to change that,” added Amsterdam Metropolitan Area head of marketing and investments Mustafa Tanriverdi.
“Adding extra rules and restrictions to reduce the chewing gum problem would be at odds with our mission. With these sneakers we make people part of the problem, or rather of the solution! In this way we have much more impact.”