Campaign for the Danish Environmental Protection Agency on how to reduce PFAS in everyday life

Task

There was a political ambition to raise public awareness of how citizens can help reduce PFAS in everyday life and thereby help prevent its spread into the environment. A 2024 survey showed that while Danes wanted to avoid PFAS, many didn’t know how. Therefore, the Danish Environmental Protection Agency (Miljøstyrelsen) wanted a campaign that could communicate the “bigger picture” — that PFAS is an environmental problem — while also showing consumers that their purchasing choices can make a difference.

Solution

The solution was the campaign “No one wishes for PFAS”, which unfolded through three main films set in a family home on Christmas Eve. The goal was to strengthen people’s knowledge of and ability to take action to reduce PFAS in daily life and in the environment. The campaign encouraged people to look for eco-labels when shopping — or alternatively, products labelled PFAS-free, PFC-free, or fluoride-free. Further guidance was available at PFASfri.dk, where broader recommendations from the Environmental Protection Agency (Miljøstyrelsen), the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration (Fødevarestyrelsen), and the Danish Health Authority (Sundhedsstyrelsen) were also provided. The campaign ran across Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, via an advertorial on alt.dk, and through a targeted PR effort.

Result

The purpose of the campaign was to strengthen public knowledge on how to reduce PFAS through everyday actions. That’s why the aim was to reach a broad audience which the campaign succeeded in doing. In total, the campaign reached over 2.3 million people across platforms and generated more than 9.3 million impressions. More than 7 out of 10 people who noticed the campaign during the campaign period expressed a willingness to change their behaviour, and 65% of those who noticed it afterwards knew which labelling schemes to look for in order to avoid PFAS in products. Before the campaign, that number was 10%.

The campaign content generated engagement and debate in the comment sections, reflecting the fact that PFAS and environmental pollution are issues that matter to the Danish public. The campaign’s messages received media coverage from outlets such as TV2, Sjællandske Nyheder, Information, and Ritzau. A wide range of the Environmental Protection Agency’s stakeholders chose to support the campaign via their own channels, helping the messages reach even further including organizations such as the Danish Consumer Council (Forbrugerrådet Tænk), AllergyCertified, the Danish Outdoor Council (Friluftsrådet), the Danish Medicines Agency (Lægemiddelstyrelsen), the Danish Competition and Consumer Authority (Konkurrence- og Forbrugerstyrelsen), Coop, the Danish Chamber of Commerce (Dansk Erhverv), and the Confederation of Danish Industry (Dansk Industri).