Vested interest: Pizza reward for energy-savers

Ballerup, Denmark – To raise awareness about sustainable energy, Copenhagen agency Anew created Vest Pizza, a restaurant that makes the benefits of low energy usage tangible for local residents by rewarding them with pizza.

Energy recycling company Vestforbrænding commissioned Anew to gather data from the local heating plant to track patterns of energy usage in the area. To draw traffic to the client’s website, adverts were placed online that included tips on how to reduce energy waste.

‘Social and online behaviour and energy waste were linked to the district’s heating grid,’ according to the agency. ‘The more energy saved, the more pizza was served.’ With its positive message, the strategy stands in contrast to perceptions that energy reduction strategies necessarily deprive consumers.

The reward of a slice of pizza also makes this a great example of Prohibition Gaming, in which brands and governments use games to drive consumer behaviour.