How do you get people to actually change their habits and not just listen to the message? At Amedia, our National Championship (NM) in Recycling campaign demonstrated that involvement, competition, and relevant content can create a documented impact that far exceeds industry benchmarks.

For advertisers seeking more attention, our results offer several clear learning points.

Simple, but not easy

The insight behind the campaign was simple yet challenging: People want to recycle, but they are uncertain. When doubt strikes, packaging often ends up in general waste just to be “on the safe side.”

The challenge wasn’t a lack of will but a lack of confidence. By shifting the focus from guilt to understanding, the National Championship (NM) in Recycling helped make sustainability achievable in practice.

The solution was an informal quiz where the country’s counties were pitted against each other. The quiz was distributed across all of Amedia’s newspapers, both locally and nationally. By tapping into local patriotism and competitive instincts, waste sorting was transformed from a daily chore into a battle of knowledge.

It’s no secret that Norwegians love a quiz, but the response to the NM in Recycling campaign surpassed all forecasts. With an original (and, according to the team, “hairy”) goal of 3,000 participants, the campaign ended with overwhelming figures:

• Over 69,000 people started the quiz.
• 384% increase in participation after the entry points were sharpened to focus on local county duels.
• Click-through rate (CTR) from the newspaper front pages to the article was 1.37%, more than double the benchmark of 0.6%.

Impressive reading time

In addition to the quiz, we launched a digital magazine featuring eight articles that delved into various types of packaging. Here, expert articles were used to debunk myths, and users were provided with the correct answers to the quiz. The active reading time was measured at a full 72 seconds, compared to a benchmark of 30-40 seconds.

The campaign exceeded benchmarks for key performance indicators. With a total index of 120 and an action index of 129, the results show engaging content can actually influence people’s habits.

Attitude change doesn’t happen overnight. Recycling is a complex system where changes occur over time — often over generations. Therefore, the effect of a single campaign cannot be measured directly in tons. Instead, we measured impact where communication has the greatest power: understanding, confidence, engagement, and intention.

Making sustainability exciting

When sustainability becomes understandable and relevant, people are willing to give both their time and attention. By shifting the focus from guilt to understanding, the NM in Recycling campaign helped make sustainability possible in practice.

By replacing “you should” with “did you know?”, Grønt Punkt Norge has proven that the path to greener choices is paved with good old-fashioned neighbourly rivalry and a healthy dose of quiz-time joy.

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