Create a "Save the Bay" bumper sticker? Or convince people to skip the lawn fertilizer 'till fall to save the crabs for future eating. At CSMBC, we think differently. When developing a campaign to reduce pollution in the Chesapeake Bay, AED took an unorthodox approach for its client the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. After extensive research, we learned that the usual sober, do-the-right-thing messages weren't connecting with the target audience. So, we approached environmentalism with humor instead. The slogan of the multimedia campaign was "Save the crabs...then eat 'em." Partnerships with local lawn care companies, restaurants and well-known chefs along with witty ads and complementary coasters and other collateral, including a consumer Web site www.chesapeakeclub.org, encouraged Chesapeake Bay-area residents to hold off on fertilizing their lawns until the fall, which reduces run-off and helps the blue crab population.

Television, newspaper, and out-of home ads on the DC area Metro system ran for a seven-week period during March and April 2005. In spite of a small budget, a post-intervention survey showed increased awareness of lawn care behaviors that contribute to Bay pollution, and decreased intent to fertilize in the spring.