I wanted to be this child so much.
2005. “Recycle; the possibilities are endless.” It was the first ad that truly got me. The imagery stuck.
- A child surrounded by appliances made from recycled cans.
- A sky full of planes made of cans.
- A landscape of cars and trains made of cans.
A promise: if you recycle, you shape the future. I was in.
That afternoon, I drank a can of Fanta and carried the empty can around all day, waiting for a recycling bin. It never came.
This is the gap between mental availability (awareness) and physical availability (facilitation of action). The ad did its job. I was convinced, motivated, ready. But there was no mechanism to act on that intent.
Brands do this all the time:
- QR codes in areas with no internet.
- Card-only or cash-only payments.
- Viral products with no stock.
- EVs with no charging infrastructure.
- Self-checkouts with no staff to help when something goes wrong.
Marketing isn’t just about being memorable. It’s about being reachable when it matters. Ask yourself:
- If someone is ready to act, are we there?
- If someone wants to buy, is it effortless?
- If something goes wrong, can they recover?
Make the leap from wanting to can-do. (Pun intended.)