iMP embarks on Unblock Against The Clock roadshow

Following the success of an integrated campaign to reduce blockages in hotspot areas through an experiential tour executed by iMP, Yorkshire Water further commissioned iMP to develop and create an escape room style consumer experience. Named ‘Unblock Against The Clock’ and constructed from two shipping containers stacked on top of each other, the huge brand activation includes three fully colour coordinated rooms: a kitchen, a bathroom and a sewer. The top and bottom containers are linked by a bespoke twisting tubular slide which leads down from the kitchen and bathroom into mock sewer complete with fatberg, rats, spiders and other blockage nasties. Led by an iMP ‘Crystal Maze’ style host, consumers are challenged to solve clues against-the-clock via touchscreen systems in each of the rooms.

The clues direct consumers to non-flushable items hidden somewhere inside the room. Once found consumers are then able to move on to the next room. Not as easy as it might sound as the containers hold a colossal 26,000 ball-pool balls making it all the more difficult to find the rogue items. The premise of the activation is to educate consumers about what not to flush down the toilet or sink at home, thereby reducing blockages and the number of costly residential callouts by Yorkshire Water. Every year, Yorkshire Water is called out to more than 30,000 sewer blockages across the region, costing £2.4 million with 40% of these blockages being caused by wet wipes flushed down toilets. Visiting Leeds, Bradford, Wakefield, Huddersfield and Sheffield city centres, the tour has helped significantly reduce the number of blockages and continues throughout ‘Unblocktober’ across Yorkshire. The full experience promotional video is available to view here.

David Gibbons, managing director of iMP said “This is certainly one of our most technically challenging experiential activations to date. We’ve created single storey containers before, but never a bespoke double-decker shipping container with integrated slide and sewer. The team at Yorkshire Water were brilliant and allowed us the flexibility on how best to deliver this unique activation. Brilliant fun with an educational and serious environmental message – we’re looking forward to the next unusual brief.”

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