E.ON Demonstrates An Art Installation That Reveals The Sheer Size Of Our Carbon Footprint

May. 13, 2022

E.ON Italia, one of the country’s most important energy operators and committed to driving the energy transition, has created a 23-meter-long human footprint on the beach in Termoli (Molise, central Italy). The size isn’t random, because it represents the footprint of a giant weighing seven tonnes, which is the amount of CO₂ that every Italian produces on average in a year (Source: Istat 2019).

The installation is based on a simple calculation: if an average man weighing 80 kg has a foot 26 cm long, how big would the footprint be of a giant weighing 7 tonnes? That’s right, 23 meters.

The purpose of the campaign is to make visible a problem that is normally invisible, like the impact of each of us on the environment and on the Planet. This is a deeply felt issue for E.ON, which for years has been promoting the responsible use of energy and providing energy solutions that can help us reduce our impact on the environment. It is a commitment that saves 99 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions a year.

Daniele Dionisi, Executive Creative Director at DLV BBDO, said:

“Seven tonnes is a huge amount. So why is it so hard for us to take action on climate change? Because the Carbon Footprint is an abstract, volatile concept. Well, here it is in all its massiveness: the footprint of a seven-tonne giant.”

 

Mauro Biraghi, Corporate and Marketing Communication Director at E.ON Energia said:

"E.ON is proud of this challenging and unconventional campaign, which springs from a truly surprising installation that has successfully made the invisible visible."

 

The work was made entirely by hand, without mechanical equipment or chemical additives, by the sculptors of the "Accademia della Sabbia".

The footprint left its mark, but without leaving a trace, and in fact disappeared from the beach in Termoli on May 8. However, thanks to Google, which took 360-degree photos of the installation (shot at beach level) and aerial photos from directly above using a drone, it will continue to be visible indefinitely on Google Maps.

The installation featuring the footprint is the starting point for a 360-degree communication project involving a series of actions and media investments planned until June 4, including radio mentions, a print, and outdoor campaign, a TV commercial, and digital amplification. Influencers and Content Creators have also been involved with the help of the media agency Hearts & Science, which handled the social planning. PR activities and Media relations have been handled by Weber Shandwick Italia.