Karma punishes those who litter, in the latest v8 campaign for AER Association

The Romanian Ecotourism Association (AER) is launching an anti-littering campaign featuring Karma, that wants a clean and #trashfree environment. The campaign, created by v8, seeks to make people more aware of the impact their own behaviour has on the environment.

The initiative is also collecting signatures on a petition asking the Romanian government to respect Article 35 of the Romanian Constitution, which guarantees citizens the right to a healthy environment.

If the home education doesn’t stop people from making nature and the streets their own dustbin, Karma steps in, that mystical force that most Romanians have heard of and, whether they admit it or not, many fear.

This is the insight from which the campaign starts, building on an amusing narrative that clearly shows the cause-effect relationship: when you throw out garbage randomly, there will be a direct consequence, right back at you.

“In 2023, we continue to be actively involved in projects that have a positive impact on society. We believe in karma, i.e. the good that returns, but also the bad that balances the universe; so we wanted to show its tangible effects in an attempt to motivate people to have the right behaviours that ensure a clean environment for us all. Of course, the campaign is wrapped in a substantial layer of humour, because nagging and tough talk have never worked in trying to raise awareness or trigger a real change in the collective mindset,” said Adina Stănescu, v8 Creative Director.
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The campaign’s story is built through a digital spot and a 30-second TV spot, supported by dedicated TikTok and YouTube content.

“We live and travel through Romania. More and more often we see in front of us desolate images of a country full of rubbish, accumulating year after year on the edge of villages, towns, roads and other otherwise beautiful places in the middle of nature. All the plastic thrown away often seriously affects wildlife and is already entering the food chain, and we are consuming the equivalent of one plastic bank card a week. Even the country’s tourist brand of the Carpathian Garden becomes a source of jokes if we don’t change course. That’s the motivation behind this campaign. To put pressure on the authorities, we are asking for the support of all citizens who empathise with this cause by signing the petition. We hope that at the end of the campaign, Romania will be moving in the right direction in terms of waste management and that the healthy initiatives that already exist will no longer be exceptions, but a reality for the whole country”, says Andrei Blumer, AER President.

Project developed by the Romanian Ecotourism Association in partnership with the Măgura Ecotourism Association, the Țara Dornelor Ecotourism Association, the Retezat Tourism Association and, with the financial support of Active Citizens Fund Romania, a program funded by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through EEA Grants 2014-2021. The aim of the project is to generate a local civic movement in three ecotourism destinations to address non-degradable waste pollution.

The Active Citizens Fund Romania programme is funded through EEA Grants 2014-2021. The overall objective of the Grants is to reduce economic and social disparities and strengthen bilateral relations between the 15 beneficiary countries and the donor countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway). The programme is administered by the consortium composed of the Civil Society Development Foundation, the Partnership Foundation, the Resource Centre for Roma Communities, the PACT Foundation and Frivillighet Norge, acting as Fund Operator designated by the FMO – Office of the EEA and Norwegian Grants Financial Mechanism. Active Citizens Fund Romania aims to strengthen civil society and active citizenship and increase the capacity of vulnerable groups. With a total allocation of €46,000,000, the programme aims to develop the long-term sustainability and capacity of the civil society sector, enhancing its role in promoting democratic participation, active citizenship and human rights while strengthening bilateral relations with the donor states Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. For more information about the Active Citizens Fund in Romania, please visit www.activecitizensfund.ro. For more information on EEA and Norwegian grants, please visit www.eeagrants.ro.”