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  • SUB CATEGORY :
    CRISIS MANAGEMENT
  • ENTRANT COMPANY :
    INNOCEAN, SEOUL
  • TITLE :
    SOLAR BEEHIVE
  • BRAND :
    HANWHA
  • ADVERTISER :
    HANWHA
  • AGENCY :
    INNOCEAN, SEOUL
  • CHIEF CREATIVE OFFICER :
    JUNG A KIM
  • CREATIVE DIRECTOR :
    NARI MOON
  • ART DIRECTOR :
    EUN-HA OH
  • COPYWRITER :
    DOYU YANG/SEUNG-HA RHEE
  • CREATIVE TECHNOLOGIST :
    HYE-DONG ROH
  • CREATIVE PLANNER :
    JINA SHIN
  • AGENCY PRODUCER :
    BAE-SUNG KIM
  • ACCOUNT DIRECTOR :
    CHUL YUM
  • ACCOUNT MANAGER :
    SEON-JEONG MIN
  • ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE :
    BITNAWA YU/CHANG-GI HAN/HEE-YEON KIM
  • MEDIA PLANNER :
    SEONG-HOON KIM/JONG-WON PARK
  • FILM PRODUCTION COMPANY :
    PLAN'IT, SEOUL/ELEMENT PICTURES, SEOUL/EAST LIGHT, SEOUL
  • DIRECTOR :
    DONG-HWA SHIN
  • DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY :
    GI-WON HYUN
  • GAFFER :
    DONG-HWAN KIM
  • ASSISTANT DIRECTOR :
    HEE-JAE LEE
  • EXECUTIVE PRODUCER :
    IN-KYU HWANG
  • FILM PRODUCER :
    WAN-SIK YUN
  • POST-PRODUCTION COMPANY :
    VIXEN STUDIOS, SEOUL
  • EDIT SUPERVISOR :
    SUN-YOUNG KIM
  • 2D SUPERVISOR :
    HA-NA CHOI
  • 3D SUPERVISOR :
    YOUNG-JIN JEON
  • ART SUPERVISOR :
    IL-MAK YOO
  • CAMPAIGN SUMMARY :
    The rumor that solar panels kill bees has damaged the brand image and sales of Hanwha, the world's No.1 solar panel manufacturer. To dismiss fake news exacerbated the problem, so rather than fighting it, we decided to prove to consumers and resolve the misconception about solar panels. Utilizing solar panels, falsely accused cause of bee mortality, the Solar Beehive proved its harmlessness through data on population increase, dissertations, articles, and expert testimonies. Not only did it eliminate the misconception, but it also recovered sales and increased brand recognition, turning the crisis into an opportunity as a successful PR campaign.
  • THE BRIEF :
    Last year in Korea spread the rumor that bees die because of solar panels, and despite debunking this fake news the rumor continued to spread online. Eventually, this rumor critically damaged the brand image and sales of Hanwha, the global solar panel manufacturer. Hanwha needed an idea to resolve this misconception around solar panels, so instead of silencing this fake news or attacking this issue, we decided to address this problem by naturally and sincerely delivering the truth to the public: by using the blamed cause of bee mortality, solar panels, to create a smart beehive that saves bees.
  • THE STRATEGY :
    In order to convey the truth that solar panels are harmless to bees, we created a smart beehive: Solar Beehive, using solar panels to provide an optimal growth environment for honeybees. Also, the process of the Solar Beehive creation was shown on Hanwha’s YouTube channel.

    Hanwha did not address the rumors that solar panels kill bees by publishing the truth in major media or taking legal action. Our key strategy was for the public to organically realize the harmlessness of solar panels and understand by themselves. What’s most important in this strategy is authenticity and transparency. Therefore, working with Korea-National-University-of-Agriculture-and-Fisheries, we used the blamed solar panels to manufacture a smart beehive. After revealing Solar Beehive, we proved with facts and data that the bee population inhibiting the Solar Beehive has increased and conveyed its harmlessness to not only the apiculture communities but also to the public the benefits of solar panels through scholarly testimonies and journals. Our bold strategy to transition the controversy into a key solution not only ended the conspiracy but also restored Hanwha’s sales and marked Hanwha as a sustainable brand that protects the bees with solar energy.
  • THE EXECUTION :
    On World-Bee-Day, May 20, 2022, the process of the campaign was revealed. Along with the video reveal, we allowed anyone to access the collected data online. Later, based on this data a paper supporting the benefits of Solar-Beehive was published in November. Diverse media widely spread the harmlessness of solar panels, convincing the public using data and testimonies of entomologists. With PR from all directions, Hanwha debunked the rumor and proved the benefits of solar panels.

    * Timeline
    - 6 months on selection of beehive function, development, and manufacture. (Production-period: 2021 December - 2022 May)
    - 6 months on exterior-design and manufacture. (Design-period: 2021 December - 2022 February. Production-Period: 2022 March-May)
    - Since World-Bee-Day, May 20, 2022, the beehive is still operational.
    - Campaign film on air for 2 months (Media-Execution-Period: July 5, 2022 - September 15, 2022)

    * Scale
    Solar Beehive Production Cost :
    - Exterior-Structure: 130 million, about $99,500
    - Beehive (4ea) including software & server development: 150 million, about $114,500
  • THE RESULT :
    *Media & Audience Output
    1. The process video on YouTube recorded 39,211,843 views, 85% of the Korean population. The majority were MZ generation with a high interest in environmental issues.
    2. 98% being positive mentions on Solar Panel and Hanwha.
    3. Positive discussions of Hanwha increased 2.6 times post-campaign.
    4. Solar Beehive website inflow: Since the website launch on September 2022, published 2 scholarly articles on the harmlessness of solar panels.

    *Business Outcomes
    - Hanwha Solution’s stock increased by 44% since the campaign launch (June 2022) compared when rumors about solar panels were severe. (February 2022)

    *Social Impacts So Far
    The Solar Beehive isn’t just changing beliefs. It’s changing the honeybees’ lives.
    1. Honeybees are globally endangered. The smart features of the Solar Beehive, effective in preserving bees, are being used by apiaries nationwide, starting with a government agency: the Rural-Development-Administration, which organizes the domestic apiary industry.
    2. In addition, the Solar Beehive is donated to the Korea-National-College-of-Agriculture, which trains future beekeepers, and is used as educational material for honeybee preservation and smart beekeeping research.
    3. Post-campaign, all the data accumulated were published online to enable access to anyone. The data collected will provide an answer to prevent bee extinction.