Singapore – JBL, the global audio brand, has developed a one-of-a-kind campaign to share its support for the sustainability movement, especially since Earth Week was recently celebrated. 

In a nutshell, JBL’s idea for its digital initiative springs from the similarities between the words ‘Rap’ and ‘Wrap’ whereby the brand encourages eliminating the use of wrapping paper through physical gift giving and replacing them instead with offering an intentional rap song.

Through an equally creative microsite, users are able to choose a rap song from a pre-selected list of suggestions. JBL makes selecting easier by labelling the tracks according to what celebration they are perfect for, whether ‘For a Friend’, for ‘Merry Christmas’, or for ‘Mum’s birthday’, amongst others.

After such selection, users are prompted to choose a creative visual or ‘Digital Wrap’ to come alongside the special rap song. Those beloved, ultimately, will be able to receive their ‘rapped’ gifts through a generated hyperlink. 

“Rap Your Gift is an exciting new initiative that is completely aligned with JBL’s wider sustainability goals,” said Grace Koh, the brand’s VP and GM for Consumer Audio in APAC.

“It uses music, a core part of our brand’s DNA, to come up with a creative, tangible solution to a real big problem. We hope to save many trees with the power of music,” she added.

JBL’s campaign, which was conceptualised together with agency BLKJ Havas, truly hits two birds with one stone. Aside from moving the stride towards waste deduction, it puts a spotlight on the brands’ provision of tech that delivers ‘sick beats’. 

Earth Week this 2023 was celebrated from 17 to 22 April, with Earth Day falling on 22 April. 

JBL’s ‘Rap Your Gift’ audio gifting portal, rapyourgifts.com, is free of usage and available for all users globally. 

Singapore –  Singapore based consumer research and analytics company, Milieu Insight, announced today the launch of its ‘Milieu For Good’ initiative, a pro bono research service, ahead of World Earth Day. The service is eligible for social enterprises, non-profit organisations and charities. 

For the service, the company is forging strategic partnerships to support causes aligning with four of United Nation’s sustainable development goals this year – good health and well being, quality education, reduced inequalities and climate action. The goal of these partnerships is to collaborate on public research that helps to drive awareness, understanding and action on key socio-economic issues.

To kick off the services, in collaboration with The Sustainability Project, a Singapore-based business that aims to drive ‘zero waste movement’ in the country, Milieu Insight uncovered how reused packaging initiatives are shifting Singapore’s e-commerce and retail landscape. Some of the notable findings showed that at present, only less than 4 in 10 (37%) have heard about reused packaging initiatives or platforms in Singapore, which could indicate that such initiatives have yet to take off into mainstream usage.  

Milieu Insight’s Chief Operating Officer, Stephen Tracy said, “It’s absolutely crucial that businesses today play their part in creating positive social impact through an environmental, social, and governance (ESG) policy or program.”

According to Tracy, a study they carried out with Distillery in July 2021 showed that 63% of Southeast Asian consumers demand that brands stand for a social cause. 

“Our latest ESG study found that awareness and understanding of the UN Sustainable Development goals is alarmingly low with more than one third of respondents saying they have never heard of them. Milieu for Good seeks to address this gap, through partnerships with change-making organisations, the ultimate goal of which is to drive greater awareness of and action around important socio-economic issues that will shape the world as we know it,” added Tracy. 

Seoul, South Korea – Automotive maker Hyundai, together with K-pop group BTS, has launched a new campaign in celebration of this year’s Earth Day, centered around the message of incorporating eco-friendly activities into our daily lives.

The campaign, narrated by BTS member RM, shows a montage of how BTS and other people can start doing actions that can help the environment such as diving to collect trash, using reusable containers and bags when grocery shopping, patronage of eco-friendly, among others.

Titled ‘For Tomorrow We Won’t Wait’, the campaign’s theme stresses the importance of acting now to directly impact the future of our environment.

“We want to celebrate the independent thinkers who are participating in eco-friendly activities to improve their everyday lives while raising awareness and inspiring others to making meaningful changes in their lives too,” the video description read.

Thomas Schemera, executive vice president and chief marketing officer at Hyundai commented, “Hyundai Motor and BTS have continued to work together to spread the values of sustainability to the world. [This] generation’s growing awareness of how their lifestyle choices and purchasing decisions are impacting the environment has led them to seek greener solutions for their daily needs.”

This is Hyundai Motor’s second Earth Day video starring BTS, the first of which was released last year, generating over 100 million views on YouTube. Hyundai Motor has collaborated with BTS on its global hydrogen campaign since last year to spread awareness on the importance of sustainable practices and the future of hydrogen as a source of clean energy under the slogan ‘Because of You.’

BTS had also previously worked with Hyundai in releasing the song ‘IONIQ: I’m On It’.