Recognizing the importance of public education and awareness in creating behavior change, AFF’s Trash Free Potomac Watershed Initiative created the Regional Litter Prevention Campaign to target active litterers in the Potomac Watershed (example of poster to right). This public education and social marketing campaign is designed to raise awareness and understanding of the issue of litter, change attitudes and perceptions, and persuade people to stop littering.
After several years of social research to create messaging and images, the Regional Litter Prevention Campaign was piloted in 2011 with grassroots outreach strategies in the community of Deanwood, DC, and through a broader jurisdictional approach in Montgomery County, Fairfax County, Arlington County, Prince George’s County, and the District of Columbia. Grassroots efforts have now expanded to eight different communities in DC, Maryland, and Virginia. To gauge the effectiveness of the Litter Campaign, AFF piloted a new evaluation technique in 2013 using direct observations of pedestrians.
The evaluation showed a positive correlation between posted Litter Campaign materials and a reduction in littering behaviors. There was a 45% reduction in the number of people littering after Litter Campaign materials were posted, declining from 1.32% to 0.75% of the pedestrians observed, excluding those littering tobacco products and pieces of food (figure 1).* Positive behavior also rose dramatically after the Litter Campaign was in place: the number of people who put their trash in a litter can rose from 0.48% to 2.12% of pedestrians observed, a 77% increase, excluding those who disposed of food scraps and tobacco products. These items were excluded to be consistent with the results reported above and because a cigarette receptacle was put in place at one of the locations.
The Litter Campaign affected a range of age groups, but had the largest impact on those within the 31-40 age range. Youth and young adults were both the least affected by the Campaign and the most likely to litter. AFF seeks to better target young adults, ages 14-30, in Prince George’s County inner beltway between Forest Heights and Capitol Heights by revising the Regional Litter Prevention Campaign. One element that will change is the main photo used in the poster and other outreach material.
Target communities for this effort are all in Prince George’s County and include:
- Glassmanor-Oxon Hill
- Hillcrest Heights- Marlow Heights
- Suitland-Coral Hills
- Forest Heights
- Capitol Heights
AFF requests two sets of photos for use in the Regional Litter Prevention Campaign. These photos will better target the audience of millennials, specifically ages 15-30. They will be done in two parts: 1) Prince George’s County Playground and 2) Marine Debris Connection. AFF has hosted two focus groups with litterers between the ages of 15 and 30 in the target communities in the spring of 2014, to better understand their motivations to litter and to test the current campaign as well as some new concepts. These concepts with also tested with community partners, along with a second round of photo concepts that were also tested with community partners. Based on the research done and the needs of the Litter Campaign, AFF is looking for the following:
1. Images for use in advertising in print, PR, marketing, outdoor and web placement in the Mid-Atlantic region. They will be used on:
- Posters ranging in size from 8×11” to 2×3’ (or 3×2’), outdoor banners (typically 5×2’), pamphlets and flyers, web banners, social media, print media, and other miscellaneous visual media that may appear in transit systems, county trucks and cars, reusable bags, stickers, etc.
2. Large image sizes (resolution for crisp images that are roughly 3 by 4 feet) and a variety of layouts (vertical and horizontal options of the same concept).
3. All licensing costs paid for upfront. AFF plans on using these images for years to come and works with partners who restrict AFF from entering agreements with yearly licensing fees. For this reason AFF requires an agreement that pays for all rights to use the images outright. This means that AFF will own the image files once completed.
4. Part 1. Prince George’s County Playground: The image should be similar to photo of the urban playground (displayed above), but with the other key elements listed below included:
- Children playing in an outdoor playground in Prince George’s County in one of the target communities. AFF has already visited several playgrounds and has some suggestions for shooting locations.
- The playground should have a high level of litter
- Racially diverse children, reflective of the audience that is being reached and including at least one African American
- Children ages 2-4 years old, younger than in the current photos
- At least one of the children directly interacting with litter
- Realistic photos, especially when it comes to litter levels
- A Photoshopped concept is pasted below.
5. Part 2. Marine Debris Connection: This part of the project is still under development and will be informed by research that is currently underway. These photos will target youth between the ages of 10 and 19, and ideally will connect litter with trash pollution in water and our oceans. A preliminary concept is pasted below.
The contractor will work with senior professional staff at the AFF to develop the image concept and will manage the project to stay within budget and schedule. The contractor will report to the Program Manager Trash Free Potomace Watershed Initiative. The contractor will manage the shoot, including all logistics from securing location and talent as needed. The contractor will deliver high resolution, large format color digital files. All creative content, files, and content become the property of the Alice Ferguson Foundation.
In addition to AFF project staff, the contractor may also interact with other stakeholders and collaborators including representatives of the community groups, funders, and reviewers.
The budget for this project is $5,000 – $6,000. Respondents to this request for proposals are encouraged to review the AFF web site. Proposals must be submitted by March 27, 2015, and the project is expected to be awarded at the beginning of April 2015. Work will start immediately.
The proposal should present samples of the photographer’s work, references, a description of the scope of work, timeline, and cost, as well as a list of members of the photo team and their qualifications. Specific items which should be addressed in the proposal include:
- Management of logistics of photo shoot, including site, talent, assistants, etc.
- Supply of all necessary high quality equipment
- Digital post production including retouching and color conversion
- High resolution digital file capture and color correction
- Creation and delivery of files for presentation in high resolution digital format to client
Please submit full proposals to Clara Elias, Program Manager for the Trash Free Potomac Watershed Initiative celias@old-ferguson.lndo.site