Sky Zero Footprint Fund: Local Heroes awards eight SMEs with regional TV campaigns to drive growth and sustainability

Eight local heroes receive a £20,000 TV campaign from Sky Media’s Regional Footprint Fund, empowering them to drive positive change, champion sustainability, and grow their businesses within their communities.

Sky Media has proudly announced the eight trailblazing winners of the first Sky Zero Footprint Fund: Local Heroes, an initiative that empowers eco-innovative SMEs by providing TV advertising to amplify their impact.

A spin-off from the award-winning Sky Zero Footprint Fund which has just relaunched, Local Heros celebrates businesses from different regions across the UK and Ireland, awarding a £20,000 local TV advertising campaign, along with up to £2,500 towards creative production through AdSmart from Sky. This means these ‘local heroes’ will be able to engage specific audiences and locations, ensuring they connect with the right audiences to drive meaningful change and support the growth of their businesses.

The eight winning local heroes

From repurposing waste to creating eco-friendly products, these ‘local heroes’ are proving that sustainability and success go hand in hand:

• Scotland: GLORIAH is redefining menopause care with traceable, palm oil-free products in biodegradable, plastic-free packaging. Their award-winning refill scheme is setting new sustainability benchmarks, with a bold plan to hit net-zero by 2027.
• Northern Ireland: Boatyard Distillery is Northern Ireland’s only B Corp distillery. They’ve ditched plastic, introduced refillable bottles and are on the path to carbon neutrality by 2027. To encourage sustainability, they reward customers with reusable pouches for discounted refills, making it easier to drink responsibly in every sense.
• North: Suma isn’t just ethical – it’s revolutionary. As a worker-owned cooperative, they are aiming to achieve Net Zero by 2035, offer vegan, organic and fairtrade produce, and actively support food banks and community clean-ups. Their equal-wage model and strong LGBTQ+ advocacy demonstrate that doing good is built into their DNA.
• Midlands: Penrhos Spirits turns wonky fruit into premium gin, reducing waste while supporting local farmers. Their 100% recycled aluminium bottles have even inspired industry giants and their zero-waste approach, reusing gin waste as fertiliser and water recycling – demonstrates their commitment to a better planet.
• Wales: Halen Môn’s success is tied to clean seas and sustainable resources. As a B Corp, they go beyond sea salt – reusing distilled water for seaweed barrels, cutting carbon and minimising waste. As champions of sustainable food careers, they’re proving great taste and green thinking go hand in hand.
• London: Seep is cleaning up the industry with plastic-free, compostable products designed to break down naturally. Every product and packaging is home-compostable or fully biodegradable, setting a new standard for the cleaning tools category.
• South East: Green Doors turns waste into opportunity. Since 2014, they’ve been rescuing discarded doors and transforming them into high-quality products, tackling construction waste one door at a time. With commitment to practical sustainability, they’re proving that a circular economy isn’t just possible – it’s profitable.
• South West: Grace & Green, founded in a Bristol basement, don’t just create sustainable period products – they believe menstruation dignity should be a universal right. Their innovative all-gender range leads the way for inclusivity, while their Period Dignity initiative tackles poverty, stigma and promotes sustainability for a better future.

The winning businesses are not only driving sustainability but also actively engaging with their local communities. From supporting local farmers and food banks to promoting sustainable careers and community clean-ups, these SMEs are making a tangible difference in their regions.

David Sanderson, Director of AdSmart Local and Development said, “These winning businesses are raising the bar for sustainability, proving that it’s possible to make a positive impact while scaling your business. We’re immensely proud to support these local heroes by helping them reach the right audiences with targeted regional advertising, enabling them to share their inspiring stories and drive real, transformative change”.

This campaign is part of Sky Media’s continued commitment to championing sustainable businesses, demonstrating how advertising can influence positive behavioural change. For full details and to find out how to apply for the national Sky Zero Footprint Fund, visit www.skymedia.co.uk/skyzerofootprintfund.

The Sky Zero Footprint Fund Returns Bigger, Bolder, and Greener in 2025 to Supercharge Sustainability

After taking a year off to refresh and refine the initiative, the fund is back with a new format and renewed commitment to drive meaningful change for a better planet through the power of advertising. Once again, Sky Media, the advertising arm of Sky, is offering £2 million in advertising support to amplify brands and organisations leading the way in sustainability. This marks a total of £8 million in media value that Sky has committed to the initiative since its launch in 2021.

Key 2025 Highlights:

• £2 million in advertising support available to brands and organisations tackling sustainability challenges.
• New three-category structure to broaden impact across startups, charities, and major brands.
• Panel of expert judges from sustainability, advertising, and media to select the most impactful initiatives.

This year, the fund is evolving to have an even greater impact, with a new structure designed to attract a wider range of brands and initiatives. The 2025 Sky Zero Footprint Fund will now feature three distinct categories:

• Disruptors – Celebrating and championing challenger brands scaling up with innovative ideas and products that have the potential to drive significant environmental change.
• Catalysts – Supporting charities and not-for-profit organisations making a major difference but often facing challenges in demonstrating measurable impact or sales.
• Champions – Engaging larger, established brands to reinvigorate their role in driving national conversations and large-scale sustainability efforts, helping to move environmental action up the agenda.

Sarah Jones, Director of Planning at Sky Media commented. “By evolving the fund for 2025, we’re aiming to put sustainability front-and-centre for a wider range of brands, empowering a diverse range of organisations —from groundbreaking startups to influential household names—to take bold steps towards a more sustainable future.”

A panel of expert judges, including leaders from sustainability, advertising, and media, will oversee the selection process, ensuring that the most impactful initiatives receive support. Previous winners have demonstrated the power of the fund in driving real change. In 2023, Grub Club was awarded the Grand Prix prize for its innovative approach to sustainable pet food, made from insect protein.

Alessandro Di Trapani co-founder of Grub Club commented, “Winning the Sky Zero Footprint Fund was a game-changer for Grub Club. The process was an incredible experience, from refining our brand message to filming our first-ever TV ad. The exposure has put Grub Club in front of millions of pet owners across the UK, driving awareness and credibility in a way that would have been impossible for an early-stage brand alone. More than just visibility, the Footprint Fund has been a key catalyst in unlocking national distribution, helping us secure major retail partnerships that will accelerate our mission to make pet food more sustainable.”

Entry guidelines will be available from www.skymedia.co.uk/skyzerofootprintfund, and further details on the judging panel and selection criteria will be announced soon. Submissions will open in early March.

Confirmed Judges include:

• Fiona Ball – Group Director, Bigger Picture and Sustainability, Sky
• Stephen Woodford – Chief Executive of the Advertising Association
• Michelle Carvill – Author ‘Can Marketing Save the Planet’
• David Garrido – Sky Sports News Presenter / Sky Zero Ambassador
• Pippa Glucklich – CEO, Electric Glue
• Dino Myers-Lamptey – Founder, The Barber Shop
• Lindsey Clay – CEO, Thinkbox
• Tim Pritchard – Head of Content and Responsible Media, MGOMD

Fund Breakdown:

• Disruptors (9 businesses to live pitch with 3 x £200k prizes available) Celebrating and championing challenger brands scaling up with innovative ideas and products that have the potential to drive significant environmental change.
• Catalysts (6 charities to live pitch with 2 x £200k prizes available) Supporting charities and not-for-profit organisations making a major difference but often facing challenges in demonstrating measurable impact or sales.
• Champions (3 brands to live pitch with 1 x 500k prize) – Engaging larger, established brands to reinvigorate their role in driving national conversations and large-scale sustainability efforts, helping to move environmental action up the agenda.
• Grand Prix (1 brand to win an additional £500k prize) prize winners are selected in June/July who then go away to make their ads. Grand Prix in October will see the most impactive ad awarded an additional £500k by the judges.

For full details and to find out how to apply for the Sky Zero Footprint Fund, visit sky media.co.uk/skyzerofootprintfund.

2023 Winners of £2 million Sky Zero Footprint Fund revealed

• Five eco-friendly brands announced as winners of Sky’s 2023 £2 million sustainable advertising initiative.
• This year, Grub Club, Milliways, Ocean Bottle, OceanSaver® and UpCircle have been selected by an esteemed judging panel to each win £250,000 in media value, helping to supercharge their sustainable brands.
• The five brands will now move into ad production in advance of the final stage of judging in December, which will see the most compelling creative securing a total of £1 million in media value.
• Established by Sky Media, the Sky Zero Footprint Fund, now in its third year, supports sustainable brands by helping to amplify their climate-positive campaigns using the power of TV and advertising.

Sky announces Grub Club, Milliways, Ocean Bottle, OceanSaver® and UpCircle as the five winners of its award-winning Sky Zero Footprint Fund. Now in its third consecutive year, the £2 million advertising fund uses the power of TV advertising to tackle climate change by supporting campaigns that drive behaviour change for a more sustainable world.

The five winning brands were selected because of their pitch’s display to inspire change, with each one demonstrating sustainable values that align to Sky’s own. Sky Zero‘s pledge is to go net zero carbon by 2030 and inspire others to join the journey.

Last Thursday, 10th August, a panel of industry experts, with credentials in advertising, creativity and sustainability, met and assessed live pitches from the shortlisted brands at the Thinkbox HQ in Holborn. Each brand was judged on the merits of their creativity (ability to capture the attention of the nation); impact (the potential to drive real, tangible behavioural change); and sustainable credibility (their authentic commitment as a business to tackle climate change).

Each of the winning businesses has been awarded £250,000 in media value. They will now move into ad production, ahead of a final stage of judging in December, which will see the most compelling creative securing an additional £750,000 (totalling £1 million) in media value.

This year’s judging panel included a range of new additions with Chris Baker, Co-Founder of Serious Tissues who won the Grand Prix £1 million ad spend last year; Sky Sports News Presenter and Sustainability Lead, David Garrido; Pippa Glucklich, Chief Executive Office of Electric Glue; Marketing Consultant Michelle Carvil, author of Sustainable Marketing and Co-Founder of Can Marketing Save the Planet Podcast; Creative Consultant, Rosie Arnold; Richard Shotton, Behavioural Scientist and Author of The Illusion of Choice and The Choice Factory; and Dino Myers-Lamptey, founder of The Barber Shop & Co-Chair of The Conscious Advertising Network GSD Advisory Group.

The panel also saw the return of Stephen Woodford (Chair of the Advertising Association), Fiona Ball (Group Director of Bigger Picture at Sky), Sarah Jones (Director of Planning at Sky Media) Jo Fenn (Global Director of AdGreen) and Gideon Spanier (UK Editor in Chief of Campaign).

All five winning ads will be produced using insights, tools and learnings from AdGreen. Part of the Advertising Association, AdGreen supports the ad industry shift towards net zero, eliminating the negative environmental impacts of production. Established by Sky Media, the Footprint Fund is part of the Sky Zero campaign to be net zero carbon by 2030.

The five winning businesses are (alphabetically):

• Grub Club (Hypoallergenic insect-based dog food)
• Milliways (Plastic free, plant powered and planet friendly gum)
• Ocean Bottle (B Corp certified reusable bottles)
• OceanSaver® (Ocean safe eco cleaning products)
• UpCircle (Natural skincare with upcycled ingredients)

Sarah Jones, Director of Planning at Sky Media, said “It’s been an absolute honour to work on the Sky Zero Footprint Fund for the last two years and I’ve been so inspired by the brilliant range of applications this year too. The calibre of presentations we saw in the Footprint Fund Dragon’s Den was truly exceptional. Thanks to our fantastic judging panel who helped to select our winners – I can’t wait to see the ads from our final 5 in December and to see the impact they have when they launch their campaigns.”

Fiona Ball, Group Director of the Bigger Picture and Sustainability at Sky, said: “Sky uses its platforms to engage audiences on climate change and encourage steps to reduce carbon emissions. Over the last two years, the Sky Zero Footprint Fund has helped produce 10 exceptional adverts, propelling sustainable brands’ messages onto television to inspire wide, tangible behavioural change. Advertising can play a key role in raising awareness of climate issues and inspiring changes in daily habits, so we look forward to seeing the 2023 winners’ adverts on our TV channels.”

Alessandro Di Trapani, Cofounder & CEO, Grub Club, said, “We are absolutely buzzing to have made this year’s Final 5. The Sky Zero Footprint Fund gives us an incredible opportunity to tell the Grub Club story to millions of people across the UK, which will be a game-changer for us in educating pet parents about the sustainable alternatives that exist in pet food. Time to turn man’s best friend into Earth’s best friend.”

Tom Raviv, Founder and CEO, Milliways, said “We’re incredibly excited to be given this opportunity with Sky. We launched Milliways with the mission of taking the plastic and artificial ingredients out of conventional gum and replacing them with plant-based and plastic-free alternatives. It’s important for us to inform the public that most gum brands are made from single-use plastics which pollute our planet and may harm our health. Working with the Sky Zero Footprint Fund aligns with our mission and gives us the perfect platform to share Milliways’ story and purpose with the world – taking us a step closer towards making Milliways accessible for everyone to enjoy.”

William Pearson, CEO of Ocean Bottle, said: “We are thrilled to have been selected as one of the winners of the Sky Zero Footprint Fund. With Sky’s full support Ocean Bottle will be able to reach millions of people across the UK and fund the collection of over 100 million plastic bottles in weight and prevent them from entering the ocean in coastal communities around the world. We hope to help unbrainwash the nation from the single-use habits we have all become so accustomed to, save our pockets and the environment and make some history in the process.”

Adam Joe Parker, Marketing Director, OceanSaver® said, “The OceanSaver team is absolutely cod-smacked and delighted to have been selected as a Sky Zero Footprint Fund winner. This is a real seal of approval that saving our Ocean is critical to helping us solve the climate challenge and our creative idea that “the Ocean will thank you” for the small changes you make. We know that most people want to be more eco-friendly and deeply care about our Ocean. That’s why we’re making it easy for anyone to become an OceanSaver. We’re excited to partner with Sky to involve even more people in our wave of change.”

Anna Brightman, Co-Founder, UpCircle, said, “We are ecstatic to have made it into the final five brands in the Sky Zero Footprint Fund. With our total commitment to the circular economy we’ve been pretty disruptive in the beauty industry since day one, setting a new standard. It’s an industry that sends 120 billion units of packaging to landfills per year, so a new standard is necessary! This opportunity could be pivotal for UpCircle, taking the next big step towards making a concept like ours more mainstream. It’s incredibly exciting to know that we now have the opportunity to show our innovative ingredient rescuing concept on national TV and we can’t wait to get started”.

Qualifying conditions and offer prize confirmation can be found on the fund website. To get all further details on the Sky Zero Footprint Fund, visit www.skymedia.co.uk/skyzerofootprintfund/.

£2 million Sky Zero Footprint Fund returns with the addition of a new ‘Local Heroes’ public vote

The third year of the Sky Zero Footprint Fund welcomes an additional local ad fund; new research into the impact of sustainable advertising; and the expertise of an expanded judging panel including 2022 Grand Prix winner Serious Tissues.

• Established by Sky Media, the Sky Zero Footprint Fund supports brands committed to driving a more sustainable future
• The £2 million media fund is split across 5 winning brands, with a Grand Prix winner walking away with £1 million in TV advertising
• Inclusive of this year’s initiative, the total media value gifted by Sky will be in excess of £6 million
• The 2023 Sky Zero Footprint Fund will see the launch of an additional media value for sustainable local businesses and initiatives around the UK
• Newly-commissioned research, to be released next month, reveals insights and the impact that sustainable messaging and creative has on consumers and brand metrics

The Sky Zero Footprint Fund returns for a third year with a new expanded format. The £2 million initiative was established to help brands accelerate their sustainable initiatives and inspire behavioural change using the power and scale of TV advertising. The campaign champions the adoption of tangible steps towards a sustainable future and is an extension of the media owner’s Sky Zero pledge to go net zero carbon by 2030.

Once again, the initiative is open to brands, media and creative agencies in the UK and Ireland – with the most imaginative and impactful idea securing £1 million of the £2 million advertising media value.

This year, will also see the introduction of an additional fund for local businesses and initiatives. The ‘Local Heroes’ Fund, with winners partially voted for by the public, will be launching in April using AdSmart from Sky to help connect worthy businesses to their local community.

So far, the Sky Zero Footprint Fund has invested £4 million in advertising support for sustainable brands, which will exceed a total of £6 million in 2023.

A panel of respected industry figures with credentials in advertising, creativity and sustainability will assess the entries, with this year’s judging panel welcoming a raft of new experts including:

• Pippa Glucklich – Chief Executive Office at Electric Glue
• David Garrido – Sky Sports Presenter and Sustainability Lead
• Michelle Carvil – Marketing Consultant, Author of Sustainable Marketing and Co-Founder and Host of Can Marketing Save the Planet Podcast
• Chris Baker – Co-Founder of Serious Tissues (and 2022 Grand Prix Sky Zero Footprint Fund winner)
• Rosie Arnold – Creative Consultant and AMV BBDO’s former Head of Art Creative Partner
• Richard Shotton – Behavioural Scientist and Author of The Choice Factory
• Dino Myers-Lamptey – Founder at The Barber Shop & Co-Chair of The Conscious Advertising Network GSD Advisory Group

The judging panel will ultimately select the five winners based on their sustainable operations to date, their commitment to a carbon-zero future and their product/services’ potential impact to drive positive behaviour change at scale.

The 2023 panel will also see the return of Stephen Woodford (CEO of the Advertising Association), Fiona Ball (Group Director of Bigger Picture at Sky), Lindsey Clay (CEO of Thinkbox), Jo Fenn (Global Director of AdGreen), Helen Brain (Head of Sustainability & Sustainable Communications Consultant at EssenceMediacom), Gideon Spanier (UK Editor in chief of Campaign) and Su-Mei Thompson (CEO at Media Trust).

New Research

New research, specially commissioned by Sky Media, on sustainability in advertising will also be released next month. In collaboration with Savanta, the analysis of over 5000 Sky customers delves into the role of green messaging, its impact on behaviour and brand preference. The research highlights key creative levers which drive influence, as well as the dangers of inauthenticity and greenwashing.

The findings show that 3 in 5 Sky customers say that sustainability messaging in advertising influences their brand choice, and that by including credible and actionable sustainable messaging in a campaign has the potential to drive 5% increase in short-term effectiveness, as well as greater long-term brand preference.

Sarah Jones, Director of Planning at Sky Media, commented, “While the cost-of-living crisis is taking much of our attention, we can’t afford to forget about climate change. So, for this year’s Sky Zero Footprint fund, we’d love to see ideas that can save the planet and your pocket at the same time. We’ve seen the impact our fund can have on launching more sustainable businesses on TV and the catalyst effect on the categories they are in too. With our biggest ever Footprint Fund in 2023, we are excited to see how we can help drive change at a local and national level.”

Chris Baker, 2022 Grand Prix winner and Co-Founder of Serious Tissues, said, “The Sky Zero Footprint Fund is an absolutely incredible initiative that’s making a real difference in the industry…but I’m probably a little biased! It was brilliant to see all the great brands who are making huge strides towards a more sustainable future that we were alongside last year. I’m really looking forward to being a judge this year and being inspired by more great thinking. Bravo to Sky for continuing to drive this paradigm shift in the sector.”

Applications for the £2 million Sky Zero Footprint Fund are open from the 29th of March until the 26th of May 2023.

From the entries, fifteen brands will progress to a live pitch with the judges in August. The five most impactful and creative ideas will share the £2 million pot of media value with each business being guaranteed at least £250,000 and the strongest submission securing £1 million for its campaign. The five winners will be announced in August before progressing with the TV advert production, which will need to be produced in line with guidance from the Advertising Association’s AdGreen standards.

Addressing the climate crisis requires all businesses, brands and individuals to take responsibility for lowering their carbon emissions. For 17 years, Sky’s ‘believe in better’ has seen it reduce its environmental impact. Motivated to inspire others to follow by sharing the knowledge and experience it has gained over that time, Sky launched the fund in 2021.

For full details and to find out how to apply for the Sky Zero Footprint Fund, visit skymedia.co.uk/skyzerofootprintfund.

A search a day helps keep climate change away

Search engine Ecosia launches its climate active advert created for the 2022 Sky Zero Footprint Fund

Sky Media has announced that the Sky Zero Footprint Fund finalist, Ecosia, unveiled its winning advert on 21st March to coincide with International Day of Forests, and will run until the 25th of April.

Ecosia, the green search engine, won £250,000 media value as a finalist in the 2022 Sky Zero Footprint Fund. The TV campaign will be aired across a mix of channels and programming on Linear, as well as on AdSmart and VOD platforms using Sky Media’s One Campaign Addressable proposition.

After the brand’s creative concept made it to the Sky Zero Footprint Fund’s final 5, Ecosia unveiled its 30” TV advert to Sky Media’s panel of judges at the Fund’s Showcase event in December 2022. The judges praised Ecosia for the way their advert communicated their vision so beautifully and the simplicity of its use and potential impact – simply asking the nation to switch to Ecosia and then continue doing internet searches, which would equate to trees being planted.

Sophie Dembinski, Ecosia’s Head of Policy & UK, at Ecosia, said: “We are so proud to be finalists in the 2022 Sky Zero Footprint Fund – not only because our team have produced a world-class advert. Ecosia’s collaboration with Sky Media highlights the positive impact businesses can make in fighting climate change and restoring biodiversity at a crucial time for the planet.”

Sina Samavati, Ecosia’s Creative Director said, “Ecosia’s impact in combating the climate crisis is all thanks to a community of users and tree planters across the globe. Our aim is to make sure we grow this community however we can. Switching search engines and using Ecosia is the easiest way we can all be climate active and bring about positive change to people across the globe as well as our planet. Our ad was conceptualised, written and directed in-house and produced thanks to an amazing local creative team in Berlin. Our challenges were our limited budget and our commitment to produce the ad as sustainably as possible. We implemented a number of sustainable measures and we worked with highly committed people to produce an ad that delivers our message in a simple yet effective way.”

Here are some insights that show the impact Ecosia is already having:

• It has 20 million active global users per month, nearly 2 million of which are in the UK
• Ecosia’s users have planted over 160 million trees
• Ecosia currently plants trees in over 35 countries with over 70 partners across 75 projects around the world in over 13,000 planting sites
• Ecosia users finance one tree every 1.3 seconds through their online searches
• 100% of Ecosia’s profits go to climate action

Think your organisation could be a winner in the Footprint Fund 2023? Click here to register your interest in hearing more about Footprint Fund 2023 ahead of the launch.

The UK’s greenest delivery company* unveils its ‘Footprints’ advert

Royal Mail launches its carbon conscious advert created for the 2022 Sky Zero Footprint Fund

Sky Media announces that the Sky Zero Footprint Fund finalist, Royal Mail, will unveil its ‘Footprints’ advertising campaign – encouraging UK consumers to send their parcels greener.

Using the £250,000 media value that Royal Mail won from the Sky Zero Footprint Fund in 2022, its TV campaign will run from 27th February until 27th March 2023 on Linear and VOD platforms, with a mix of channels and programming across Sky Media’s portfolio.

The brand’s 30” TV creative was unveiled for the first time to the panel of judges at the Sky Zero Footprint Fund Showcase event on 7 December 2022, where it was highly commended for its premium production values and the campaign’s potential impact on UK consumers and the wider delivery industry.

Sonia Sudhakar, Managing Director, Marketing and Digital at Royal Mail, said that the business is “committed to raising awareness about the real carbon impact of our parcel deliveries. Now, with the help of the Sky Zero Footprint Fund and AMV BBDO, we’ll campaign for our entire industry to do the same, thereby empowering customers to help tackle climate change – today!”

Sam Williams, Head of Strategy at AMV BBDO, added: “Over 4.2 billion parcels are sent in the UK every year, but we rarely ever stop to think about the impact on the environment of the things we send. The campaign seeks to wake us up to this reality by dramatising one of the key differentiators for Royal Mail, the fact that the 2/3 of their parcels are delivered on foot, this enables them to have a dramatically ‘lighter’ carbon footprint than the competition. It brings this truth to life through the medium of dance; a mesmerising urban ballet. And then it ends with a very clear call to action to send it greener.”

During production, creative agency AMV BBDO and Royal Mail worked with production house, Thirty-Two and Anonymous Content, to adopt more sustainable production decisions and practices. This included minimising travel (within M25), minimising large-scale art production and post-production, and signing up to Ad Green to calculate and monitor the carbon impact of the production.

Here are some insights that informed Royal Mail’s campaign and creative execution:

1. 70% of consumers would choose a more sustainable delivery option. IMRG Consumer Home Delivery Review 2021
2. 40% of consumers would be willing to pay more for a sustainable delivery option IMRG Consumer Home Delivery Review 2021
3. 2/3 of Royal Mail’s parcels are delivered on foot or by park and loop (by 90,000 posties who walk over a billion steps a day), which allows them to maintain a carbon footprint that’s less than half of their competitors.

Interested in giving it a go yourself? Click here to register your interest in hearing more about Sky Zero Footprint Fund 2023, ahead of the launch.

Serious Tissues Announced as £1m Grand Prix Winner of the 2022 Sky Zero Footprint Fund

• Sky announces that Serious Tissues has won Sky Zero Footprint Fund’s 2022 Grand Prix £1m prize
• The award-winning fund is a £2m advertising initiative, which uses TV’s voice to inspire behavioural change for a more sustainable future
• The other four finalists Ecosia, Homethings, Royal Mail, and WUKA have already secured a £250k media value, which will be used to support their sustainable initiatives. The brands all presented their advertisements during the showcase. All ads will be unveiled in early 2023

Sky has revealed Serious Tissues as the Grand Prix winner of its 2022 Sky Zero Footprint Fund initiative – a £2m advertising fund which supports and aims to inspire others to join the journey to Net Zero Carbon. The fund was established in 2021 to aid the acceleration and amplification of initiatives to drive behavioural change and tangible impact towards a more sustainable future.

Serious Tissues, which produces 100% recycled toilet roll, was selected as the winner of the Grand Prix £1m media value prize ahead of Sky’s other four finalists – Ecosia, Homethings, Royal Mail, and WUKA – at a showcase held yesterday. All five shortlisted businesses have already secured £250,000 as part of the scheme with Serious Tissues receiving an extra £750k in media value.

“Winning this prize is absolutely game-changing for us,” said Chris Baker, Co-founder of Serious Tissues. “It’s tough starting a business, going up against huge players. So many brands are looking to disrupt and would benefit from the power of TV to reach mass audiences. We are so grateful to have been given this opportunity by Sky to access TV advertising in such an early stage of our business, something we never thought was possible.”

Martin McAllister, Co-founder of Serious Tissues added, “We want to congratulate all of the finalists for not only their brilliant ads but also their efforts towards a sustainable future. It has been an absolute blast getting to know everyone through the process and are already excited about making the most of the prize.”

The decision was made yesterday (Wednesday 7th December) at the Curzon Soho in London following presentations from each brand, where they unveiled their sustainable ads. The winning campaign was selected by a panel of expert judges with extensive experience in advertising, creativity and sustainability. Judges included advertising legend Sir John Hegarty, Su-Mei Thompson (CEO of the Media Trust), Stephen Woodford (Chair of the Advertising Association), Fiona Ball (Group Director of Bigger Picture at Sky), Gideon Spanier (UK Editor in Chief of Campaign), Juliet Davenport (Founder of Good Energy and Author of The Green Start-up), Bruce Crouch (Executive Creative Director of Hatch London), and Tara Chandra (Co-Founder and CEO of Here We Flo).

Judges were extremely impressed with all the final creatives presented, but after a tough deliberation, Serious Tissues secured the Grand Prix million-pound prize because of its “category-changing product” and the compelling way their mission was displayed throughout their advert, written and produced by Wonderhood Studios, with Brilliant Artists and Oh Studio.

Sarah Jones Director of Planning at Sky Media commented, “We’re thrilled that we were able to bring back the Sky Zero Footprint Fund for a second year. This takes our total investment to £4m of advertising value that’s helping drive sustainable behaviour change.

All five of our winners will play a key role in encouraging the nation to make changes to help the planet, using the power of TV. I want to issue a huge congratulations to Serious Tissues for winning the £1m Grand Prix, against a group of outstanding pitches.”

The five winning ads were all produced following best practice advice and recommendations from the Advertising Association’s AdGreen programme. The ad campaigns will roll out in early 2023.

Winners of this year’s £2million Sky Zero Footprint Fund revealed

• Five brands have been announced as winners of the £2 million sustainable advertising initiative
• This year, Ecosia, Homethings, Royal Mail, Serious Tissues and WUKA have been selected by an esteemed judging panel to win £250,000 each in media value, helping fast-track their sustainable initiatives
• The five brands will now move into ad production and the final stage of judging in December, which will see the most compelling creative securing a total of £1 million in media value.
• Established by Sky, the Sky Zero Footprint Fund supports brands committed to a more sustainable future by helping to amplify their positive environmental messages using the power of TV and advertising

Sky has announced the five winners of its Sky Zero Footprint Fund, a £2 million advertising fund which uses the power of TV advertising to amplify business initiatives that are driving positive behavioural change for a more sustainable world.

The campaign champions the adoption of tangible steps towards a sustainable future. The five winning brands were selected because of their pitch’s display to inspire change, with each one demonstrating sustainable values that align to Sky’s own. Sky Zero‘s pledge is to go net zero carbon by 2030 and inspire others to join the journey.

Each of the winning businesses has been awarded £250,000 in media value. They will now move into ad production, ahead of a final stage of judging in December, which will see the most compelling creative securing a total of £1 million in media value.

Fiona Ball, Group Director of the Bigger Picture at Sky, said: “Last year, the Sky Zero Footprint Fund resulted in five great adverts and brought disruptive brands to TV for the first time. It’s exciting to see this year, yet again, so many inspiring brands are committed to making a difference. Each of the winning brands from this year’s Sky Zero Footprint Fund delivers a critical message that aligns with ours; that sustainable can be attainable. And, with the opportunity to use the power of TV advertising, this message is amplified, ultimately driving positive change.”

The five wining businesses are (alphabetically):

• Ecosia
• Homethings
• Royal Mail
• Serious Tissues
• WUKA

A panel of respected industry experts, with credentials in advertising, creativity and sustainability, assessed 15 live pitches from the shortlisted brands on Wednesday 10th August at the Thinkbox headquarters in Chancery Lane. Each brand was judged on the merit of their creativity (ability to capture the attention of the nation), impact (the potential to drive real, tangible behavioural change) and sustainable credibility (their authentic commitment as a business to improve future sustainability).

Sarah Jones, Director of Planning at Sky Media, said: “It has been such a privilege to discover so many brands who are helping pave the way to a more sustainable future. The standard of pitches we saw on judging day was excellent – with inspiring origin stories, shocking statistics and brilliant business ideas. Thank you to all the brands who took part and to our fantastic judging panel for their expertise and guidance. We believe our final 5 have a huge opportunity to make an impact within their categories and beyond through the power of TV.”

This year’s judging panel included three new additions with Tara Chandra, Co-founder of Here We Flo who won the Grand Prix £1 million ad spend last year; Bruce Crouch, Executive Creative Director of Hatch London and the creative behind Here We Flo’s award-winning period drama concept; and Marianne Matthews, Sky’s Head of Responsible Business.

The panel also included the return of advertising legend Sir John Hegarty, Stephen Woodford (Chair of the Advertising Association), Karen Blackett OBE (Country Manager at WPP & GroupM UK CEO), Jo Fenn (Founder of AdGreen) and Sarah Jones (Director of Planning at Sky Media)

Sophie Dembinski, Ecosia’s Head of Policy & UK, said, “We’re thrilled to have been selected as one of the winners of the Sky Zero Footprint Fund. With Sky’s support, Ecosia will be able to reach and enable millions more people across the UK to fight the climate emergency by planting millions more trees and regenerating forests around the world at a crucial time for the planet.”

Tim Keaveney, Founder of Homethings, said, “We’re fizzing with excitement to be in the final 5 of the Sky Zero Footprint Fund. This campaign will be a game-changing step on our journey to change the way the world cleans, helping us to educate consumers that shipping water is bonkers for the planet whilst refilling with tap water makes sense.”

Sonia Sudhakar, Managing Director, Marketing and Digital at Royal Mail, said, “We’re thrilled to be shortlisted by Sky’s Zero Footprint Fund. As the UK’s greenest delivery company*, we are committed to raising awareness about the real carbon impact of our parcel deliveries. Now, with the help of the Sky Zero Footprint Fund and AMV BBDO, we’ll campaign for our entire industry to do the same, thereby empowering customers to help tackle climate change – today!”

Chris Baker, Founder of Serious Tissues, said, “We’re seriously excited to be one of the Sky Zero Footprint Fund winners and especially amongst the amazing company of the other brands on the shortlist. TV has the power to make sustainable switches mainstream, showing how something as small as changing your toilet roll to Serious Tissues can have a massive impact. Fingers heavily crossed for the final in December.”

Ruby Raut, CEO and Co-Founder of WUKA, said, “We believe the future is girls and the future of periods is sustainable period underwear so having the Sky Zero Footprint Fund team believe our vision is an incredible start on our journey. Supporting our campaign means supporting generational impact, a lasting positive impact for both women’s health and reducing our collective footprint on the planet.”

All five winning ads will be produced using insights, tools and learnings from AdGreen. Part of the Advertising Association, AdGreen supports the ad industry shift towards net zero, eliminating the negative environmental impacts of production. Established by Sky, the Footprint Fund is part of the Sky Zero campaign to be net zero carbon by 2030.

The Sky Zero Footprint Fund returns for its second year – a £2m initiative challenging brands to make sustainable attainable

This year’s Footprint Fund judging panel welcomes insight and expertise from the 2021 Grand Prix winners.

• Established by Sky, the Sky Zero Footprint Fund supports brands committed to a more sustainable future by helping to amplify their positive environmental messages using the power of TV and advertising
• Five winning brands will be chosen, with the most imaginative and impactful idea securing £1 million of the £2 million pot in advertising support
• This year, judges on the panel include newly appointed Tara Chandra, Co-founder of last year’s winner Here We Flo and Bruce Crouch, Executive Creative Director of Hatch London

The Sky Zero Footprint Fund returns for the second year running – a £2 million initiative created to help brands accelerate their sustainable initiatives and inspire behavioural change using the power and reach of TV advertising.

The campaign champions the adoption of tangible steps towards a sustainable future and is an extension of the media owner’s Sky Zero pledge to go net zero carbon by 2030 to fight climate change. Once again, the initiative is open to brands and media and creative agencies in the UK and Ireland. A panel of respected industry experts with credentials in advertising, creativity and sustainability will assess the entries.

The judging panel will select the winners based on their commitment to a carbon zero future – be it via the showcasing of sustainable business operations or product development designed to reduce carbon footprints for its consumers or by encouraging customers to embrace behavioural change to protect the environment.

This year’s judging panel includes two new additions with Tara Chandra, Co-founder of Here We Flo who won the Grand Prix £1 million ad spend last year – and Bruce Crouch, Executive Creative Director of Hatch London and the creative behind Here We Flo’s award-winning period drama concept.

The panel will also see the return of advertising legend Sir John Hegarty, Su-Mei Thompson (CEO of the Media Trust), Stephen Woodford (Chair of the Advertising Association), Fiona Ball (Group Director of Bigger Picture at Sky), Gideon Spanier (UK Editor in chief of Campaign), Karen Blackett (Country Manager at WPP & GroupM UK CEO), Juliet Davenport (Founder of Good Energy and Author of The Green Start-up), and Jo Fenn (Founder of AdGreen).

Sarah Jones, Director of Planning at Sky Media, commented, “The Sky Zero Footprint Fund builds on Sky’s track record of inspiring environmental awareness by using the power of TV to drive positive change with more sustainable brands and messages. The Footprint Fund last year resulted in five great adverts and brought new disruptive brands to TV for the first time. We’re excited to announce the return of the initiative and we can’t wait to hear from the brands that want to help make a difference.”

Tara Chandra, Co-Founder of Here We Flo, said, “Winning the Sky Zero Footprint Fund prize has been completely transformative for our business already, as it’s allowed us to reach millions of people. The incredible opportunity to be on TV has not only helped us secure more support from investors and retailers, but it’s also given us a voice to talk about period products and sustainability in ways that have never been done before. The whole Footprint Fund journey was incredibly exciting, and I’m honoured to be part of the journey again – although this time, on the other side of the fence.”

Fiona Ball, Group Director of Bigger Picture at Sky, adds, “Last year, we were incredibly inspired and buoyed by all the great work that brands are doing to make sustainable more attainable. It’s great that more brands are putting sustainability at the core of their business like we do and I can’t wait to see what this year’s contestants come up with.”

Applications are open from the 3rd May until the 8th June 2022 – on World Ocean Day.

From the entries, fifteen brands will progress to a live pitch with the judges. The five most impactful and creative ideas will share the £2 million pot of media value. Each business is guaranteed at least £250,000 with the strongest submission securing £1 million for its campaign. The five winners will be announced in August before progressing with the TV advert production, which will need to be produced in line with guidance from the Advertising Association’s AdGreen standards.

Addressing the climate crisis requires all businesses, brands and individuals to take responsibility for lowering their carbon emissions. For 16 years, Sky’s ‘believe in better’ has seen it reduce its environmental impact. Motivated to inspire others to follow by sharing the knowledge and experience it has gained over that time, Sky launched the successful fund last year.

For full details and to find out how to apply for the Sky Zero Footprint Fund, visit sky media.co.uk/skyzerofootprintfund.

Sky Media Launches Net Zero Carbon Ad Break Featuring Footprint Fund Winners

Sky Media announced the launch of a series of special Net Zero Carbon ad breaks to coincide with COP26. The 170” ad break will be ‘presented by Sky Zero’ and include all five winners of the Sky Zero Footprint Fund that will run across Sky Nature and Sky News for the next two weeks.

The Sky Zero Footprint Fund initiative is a £2m advertising fund which supports businesses to inspire others to join the journey to Net Zero Carbon. The fund was established to help accelerate and amplify initiatives that drive positive behavioural change and tangible impact towards creating a more sustainable future. In a live judging event held in October, Here We Flo secured the £1 million Grand Prix with the other four finalists, OLIO, OVO Energy, Pura and Path Financial, each receiving £250,000 in media value.

The five winning ads were all produced following best practice advice and recommendations from the Advertising Association’s AdGreen programme, in which Sky is founding member. The special ad break is a first for British TV with all ads produced to be Net Zero Carbon with the intention to inspire positive change amongst viewers:

• Here We Flo: The Period Drama creative playfully recreates a Victorian era dinner setting to promote their natural and biodegradable sanitary products.
• OLIO: Against the backdrop of one of the UK’s largest landfill sites, a chorus of children sing a haunting rendition of Louis Armstrong’s What a Wonderful World – encouraging people to share more and waste less.
• OVO Energy: The ad asks viewers to make a quick and easy change, turning off the lights in their living room – saving energy and enhancing the viewing experience!
• Pura: Using a cast of “spokesbabies”, this ad encourages viewers to start a wipe revolution by switching to sustainable products; looking after their families and the planet.
• Path Financial: Revealing to viewers that switching your pension to an ethical investment option is 21 times more impactful than all of the other changes you can make, the ad asks Brits to take the right path.

Debbie Klein, Group CMO, Corporate Affairs & People Officer at Sky, said: “At Sky, we’re proud to be playing our part as the Principal Partner and Media Partner at COP26, and we’re delighted to be working with like-minded partners throughout the summit to cast a spotlight on sustainability and positive behavioural change during TV ad breaks.

Sarah Jones, Director of Planning at Sky Media, commented, “We’re thrilled to finally bring all our Footprint Fund winners together in a single adbreak. We know that advertising has a key part to play in driving sustainability and TV has the power to inspire change like no other. All our winners are encouraging the nation to make simple but achievable changes – all of which can make a meaningful impact to the planet”

Susan C. Allen, Co-Founder and interim SHE-EO of Here We Flo said: “We’re so proud to finally have a wide-reaching platform to talk about periods and sustainability in ways that have never been done before; and we’re so excited to bring our Period Drama into the world alongside the Hatch London team!”

The 170” ad break launches today – in Wild Birds of Australia S1 at 8pm on Sky Nature and Sky News at 9 with Anna Botting – and will continue to run across Sky News and Sky Nature every day for the duration of the COP26 conference, which ends on 12 November. Thereafter, each of the five winning brands will use their prize money to plan and launch their own campaigns tailored to their individual objectives and audiences.

Sky is the Principal Partner and Media Partner of COP26, and alongside reaching its target of net carbon zero by 2030, is committed to support the delivery of a successful and ambitious summit working alongside the UK Government who hold the COP26 Presidency.