During Strawless In Seattle's September 2017 campaign launch, an unidentified figure was caught on camera "stealing" plastic straws from leading Seattle establishments. The mystery generated weeks of media coverage and viral social interest before the celebrity behind the campaign was finally revealed.
Why the campaign worked
By treating the disappearance of straws as a mystery rather than a press release, Strawless In Seattle turned a single-issue campaign into a story people wanted to follow. The "Stolen In Seattle" framing transformed the act of refusing a plastic straw into an act of cultural participation.
The reveal
The celebrity behind the campaign — and the mechanics of how each partner venue removed plastic straws from their service — was revealed at the end of the September 2017 campaign window. Read the full Strawless In Seattle case study.