CITEO FRANCE

CASE STUDY SUMMARY

Context:

In France, the transition toward more responsible consumption is widely supported… in theory. In practice, reuse behaviours remain marginal. Despite high environmental awareness, French consumers face growing eco-fatigue, driven by the complexity of systems, economic pressure, and an accumulation of guilt-based messaging. Against this backdrop, CITEO, together with Ogilvy, launched a national TV campaign (shown above) designed to introduce and clarify the different forms of reuse, highlighting its three complementary models: bulk, refill, and reusable packaging.

In parallel, CITEO rolled out ReUse, a pilot programme for reusable packaging in the Greater North-West of France, reaching nearly 16 million people. The challenge went far beyond launching a new system: it was about supporting the long-term emergence of new consumption practices.

Problem:

Research showed that barriers to reuse were multifactorial — psychological, social, and structural. The behaviour was often perceived as constraining, marginal, or reserved for highly committed consumers. Above all, yet another narrative focused solely on environmental benefits was not sufficient to drive adoption. The core barrier was cultural: reuse lacked shared social cues to support large-scale adoption. Information alone would not be enough.

Strategy:

As the main barrier to reuse was cultural, the strategy focused on repositioning reuse as a social badge, rather than a purely ecological or functional act.

This badge was built by activating two complementary behavioural levers:

• the exception effect (being among the first to adopt),

• the observer effect (knowing one’s choices are visible to others).

Together, these levers transformed reuse into a positive and valued social signal. Reuse became a simple, visible, and rewarding gesture — one that says something about who you are and how you choose to consume today. The ambition was clear: to make reuse not a sacrifice, but an emerging consumption norm, aligned with the “right direction of history”.

To make this social badge concrete and actionable, we developed a Theory of Change, inspired by the COM-B model*, to identify the key barriers and priority levers for adopting reusable packaging.

Creative Idea:

The central idea was to establish a new narrative around reuse: “Proud to lead the way.” In the pilot territory, residents were positioned as visible role models, activating mechanisms of emerging social norms and social signalling. By making the behaviour observable and valued, the campaign encouraged social diffusion through imitation: seeing peers adopt, identifying with them, and then adopting in turn. Rather than relying on injunctions or top-down education, the creative work depicted credible and desirable everyday situations, helping turn early adoption into a sustainable collective dynamic.

Creative Deployment:

The campaign was rolled out through a multichannel ecosystem, with each medium playing a specific behavioural role along the adoption journey. To translate our Theory of Change into concrete campaigns and activations, we relied on the Behaviour Change Wheel (**). This framework guided the design of targeted interventions, combining social motivation (e.g. cinema, TV, social media) with facilitation of action close to the moment of purchase (e.g. outdoor, in-store), and with messages evolving in line with the stages of behaviour change.

In parallel, a reflection on cultural infiltration — how to subtly embed reuse gestures into French popular culture — opened pathways for their progressive integration into everyday narratives and practices, supporting normalisation beyond the campaign itself.

Results:

The launch of ReUse generated strong visibility and uptake across pilot territories. Reusable packaging gained in attractiveness and social legitimacy.

Impact indicators showed significant progress across key intermediate stages of behaviour change: improved social image, better understanding of the system, and increased intention and action. Beyond short-term results, the campaign laid the foundations for a lasting cultural shift, positioning reuse as a credible, valued practice on its way to becoming the norm.

Awards :

Gold – Deauville Green Awards (2025). Category: Circular Economy

Note:

As Partner & Strategy Director at Ogilvy Consulting Paris, I led the project’s overall strategy from pitch to execution — from behavioural insights to cultural strategy, theories of change, communication activations, and impact measurement — in close collaboration with communication and media planners.

* Susan Michie, Maartje M. van Stralen & Robert West, 2011
** Susan Michie, Lou Atkins & Robert West, 2014