303 MullenLowe wins EPA NSW brief to evolve ‘Don’t be a Tosser’ platform

Littering’s impact on wildlife and waterways is under the spotlight as 303 MullenLowe sets out to evolve the ‘Don’t be a Tosser’ platform for the NSW Environment Protection Authority.

The agency was appointed following a pitch and will now work to reinvigorate the long-running anti-littering campaign by targeting a more complacent, younger audience. The brief draws on 303 MullenLowe’s track record in behaviour change strategy and long-term public health work.

Joanna Gray, CEO of 303 MullenLowe Sydney, said the win reinforces the agency’s standing as a leader in effective social and behavioural change.

“Not only do we have significant experience partnering with the Federal, NSW and WA governments on behaviour change campaigns, but also with not-for-profits and private sector organisations interested in motivating consumers to change their perceptions, and in turn their actions,” she said.

Chief strategy officer Jody Elston said unlocking the right decision science frameworks - and applying them consistently across campaigns - remains key to long-term effectiveness.

“Our deep understanding of decision science combined with our ability to create big creative platforms over the long term is key to our success,” Elston said. “Given the scale of these societal challenges, we need to create what we like to call ‘unfair advantage’ - to drive disproportionate change relative to investment.”

The agency’s behaviour change credentials were recognised at the 2024 Effie Awards Australia, where it picked up silver in Insight and Strategic Thinking and bronze in Positive Change for its ‘Arrows’ campaign with the Cancer Institute NSW. That campaign is estimated to have prevented more than 2200 skin cancers, saving over $20 million in lifetime treatment costs.

303 MullenLowe was also recognised at the 2022 Effie Awards for its ‘One Drink’ campaign, developed for the WA Mental Health Commission in collaboration with Cancer Council WA. The agency has since expanded its behaviour change remit to private sector clients, including a recent appointment by retirement operator Levande to shift public perceptions of retirement living.

“Whether we’re provoking young males to be aware of the impacts of their littering behaviours or reshaping how Baby Boomers feel about retirement living, it’s all behaviour change,” Elston said. “Focusing on salience, emotional priming, memorable mnemonics and consistency over the long term is just as important in social impact work as it is in commercial campaigns.”