Dirty work: Billboard visualises food poisoning by growing bacteria

The campaign was created for The Netherlands Nutrition Centre to inform Dutch citizens about how to avoid food poisoning from their kitchens. It is hard to be afraid of what you cannot see. We all know that our kitchens are filled with bacteria, but we never think about the tiny invisible microbes. To visualise the dangers in the kitchen, Lemz created a set of living billboards, on which bacteria grow and turned into words of advice on how to prevent it.

Each of the billboards ‘made the invisible visible’, says Lemz. ‘After a few days, infectious bacteria from vegetables, cutting boards and dishcloths grew into practical tips on how to easily prevent food infection.’

The process was engrossing and disgusting, but an interesting way to engage with consumers on a topic that is not often discussed.

Advertising campaigns are increasingly using creative thinking to communicate life-saving ideas. For more, see our Life-saving Campaigns microtrend.