Flashback to the Future: Grow Up Green

Before “green” became a buzzword and before ESG* was on every boardroom agenda, dewinter PR & Marketing was already rewriting the playbook on community-led sustainability.

Growing Up Green, our campaign for Golden Square Shopping Centre in Warrington, wasn’t just progressive – it was pioneering. Delivered nearly 15 years ago, this campaign brought a bold, creative vision of environmental action to life, uniting an entire town around sustainability long before it was trending.

The Brief

Turn sustainability into something local, real and actionable – something that could spark change at a household level and spread throughout the community.

The Big Idea

We created Growing Up Green, an energetic, community-first campaign that blended PR, events, and digital innovation. At its core was the Turn It Down pledge: a call for every home to reduce its heating by one degree. A small shift with a massive environmental payoff.

What We Delivered

• PR & Influencer Strategy Partnered with the UK Energy Saving Trust and secured national media attention – including praise from the BBC, who called it “a great green campaign with a twist.”

• Live Eco Events From recycled fashion shows to eco-workshops and sapling giveaways – we made sustainability visible, tangible and shareable inside the shopping centre.

• Digital-First Thinking Years before most brands were thinking digital-first, we built a distinctive online identity, drove social engagement, and activated a network of green influencers.

The Results

• REVO Green Apple Sustainability Award – first ever green award given by REVO

• £400,000+ in PR coverage – worth £650,000 now with inflation!

• 2 million+ audience reach

• 2,000 households signed the pledge

• 65,000 tonnes of CO₂ saved

• Warrington named Greenest Town in the UK

All those years ago, we proved what’s possible when you combine creativity, community spirit and clear purpose. Today, it’s still a benchmark for how retail spaces can be the hub of the community and lead meaningful change.

👉 If you’re ready to create future-forward campaigns that grab headlines and spark action – let’s talk. dewinter PR & Marketing . Creative comms for caring brands.

*ESG stands for Environmental, Social, and Governance. It’s a framework used to evaluate how a company or organisation is performing in areas beyond just financials – focusing instead on:

Environmental

How a company impacts the planet — e.g. carbon footprint, waste management, energy efficiency, climate change initiatives.

Social

How it treats people – including employees, customers, suppliers, and the community. This includes diversity and inclusion, labour practices, and social impact.

Governance

How it’s run – focusing on ethics, transparency, board diversity, executive pay, anti-corruption policies, and accountability.

Companies and investors now use ESG criteria to assess sustainability and ethical impact. It’s become a major decision-making factor for consumers, investors, and regulators – making our early sustainability work look even more forward-thinking.