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Forests fire prevention campaign “Recklessness is the First Spark”

About the client

Croatian Forests is a state enterprise responsible for forest and woodland management in Croatia. Since forests make up 50% of the Croatian land area, and 3/4 of that area is under the company’s management, they also invest in year-round fire protection.  Next to the additional hiring of seasonal forest watchers, there are 220 cameras in 110 locations in the coastal forests, partly with smoke and fire detection, and a fire spread simulator.

Challenge

In Croatia, the season of increased fire risk begins in June. Temperatures are rising, and thousands of domestic and foreign tourists arrive, looking for leisure and relaxation. In such a mood, reckless mistakes, such as not putting out an open flame, leaving glass bottles in nature or throwing cigarette butts into fire-prone vegetation, can happen to anyone. Even the locals forget themselves, letting the summer breeze carry fire sparks from burning grass onto the neighboring pasture. In the following days, the whole nation watches in disbelief as the terrible scenes of fires fill out central news.

Despite all the previous efforts of all organizations involved in fire prevention, including Croatian Forests, in 2022, as many as 245 fires burnt more than 18,000 hectares of forest. 

It once again became clear that no technology can replace the split second in which another person’s behavior starts the spread of forest fire.

In 2023, CTA komunikacije created an integrated fire prevention campaign that included digital channels, TV and radio commercials, as well as media presence.

Solution

Leaning on to the shocking fact that humans cause 90% of fires, the campaign was launched in June 2023. The main goal was to raise citizens’ and tourists’ awareness of their responsibility and actions that cause fires.

Unwanted behavior in the forest was reduced to a single denominator and slogan: RECKLESSNESS IS THE FIRST SPARK. 

Compelling content and integrated communication reached target audiences, effectively spreading the key message: anyone can spark a forest fire, either through (in)action or recklessness. The three most common triggers of fires were identified and transformed into a strong visual message: recklessness combined with one small object – cigarette butt, discarded glass and/or unextinguished flame – can both literally and figuratively be bigger than an entire forest.

Creative solutions for the campaign “Recklessness is the first spark”

Activities of Recklessness is the First Spark campaign were carefully integrated with one main objective: reducing the number of forest fires.  A press conference was used to announce the campaign and its visual identity. The media had the first look at the billboards spread along Croatian roads emphasizing the main triggers of fires and warning the drivers that their recklessness is the first spark too.

After their journey takes our passers-by to a Croatian tourist town, visual reminders await: on the lifeguard tower, beach banners or info-panels. 

Creative solutions

Kada naši protagonisti na ležaljkama scrollaju Instagramom ili Facebookom, ciljaju ih statični engagement oglasi, video-oglasi i banneri na medijskim portalima te Google Search rezultati. Kampanja je, u prosjeku, dnevno dosezala preko 16.000 korisnika na Metinim platformama, dok su video spotovi protupožarne kampanje „Nemar je prva iskra“ na Meti i YouTubeu prikupili 1.75 milijuna pregleda u četiri mjeseca. 

Otvoren je Instagram profil, stvarajući temeljnu zajednicu za daljnje kampanje Hrvatskih šuma. Facebook informira o ponašanju u prirodi, a na storyjima obiju mreža pratitelji vikendom mogu naći kartu Hrvatske s glavnim žarištima prema DHMZ-u.

Examples of ads and posts

In a nearby bar, people could hear a radio jingle about one of the three main fire triggers. Should they watch TV, they could be targeted by the TVC, which they will see again as a pre-roll while listening or watching YouTube with friends. 

By playing with metaphors, the campaign relied on education and acceptance instead of frightening fire images. TVCs followed the same idea, representing audience sub-groups: a couple falling asleep while camping and forgetting to put out fire, careless hikers and hasty teenagers, once again emphasising that recklessness can happen to anyone. 


Due to quality media planning, great results were achieved. Actual affinity is 167%, which means that the media buying team targeted the shows/periods that the audience followed with extremely high precision. On average, each individual who saw at least one ad saw that ad 12 times. The cumulative number of contacts achieved by the campaign (GRP) is 786 (1GRP = 1% of the population, i.e., the campaign had 28.544.362 contacts). TVC reached 64% of the target group with at least one message (more than 2 million individuals watched the commercial at least once). Additionally, 47% of the target group received our message(s) three times (source: Ariana software). 

Since many foreigners visit Croatia, the campaign was adapted. Slogan Nemar je prva iskra became Recklessness is the first spark, the banners on the beaches have been translated, video ads had subtitles, and the radio commercial had its version in the seconds before traffic news in English. 

Communication activities also generated unprecedented visibility in the history of Croatian Forests: 

  • 97 organic publications about the campaign in the media (goal exceeded by 115%);
  • Native articles achieved 66% more views than guaranteed (108.188); 
  • Increase in mentions positioning Croatian Forests as a key stakeholder in the fire prevention season by 1050% compared to the previous period. 

Thanks to coordinated communication efforts, in 2023, the people cared. The integrated fire prevention campaign Recklessness is the First Spark helped reduce the number of forest fires to 42, the lowest number in the last decade.

Due to its creativity and results, the Recklessness is the First Spark campaign was awarded the Grand PRix of the Croatian Public Relations Association and a special Global Contribution Award for 2024 as part of the world’s largest PR prize IPRA Golden World Awards, as the project that best follows the UN’s sustainable development goals. The mentioned goal no. 15 regards the preservation of life on earth, which includes protection, establishment and promotion of sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainable management of forests, suppression of desertification, halting of soil degradation and prevention of destruction of biological diversity. 

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