Tide | #TurnToCold
Role: Co-Media Planner | University of Oregon Ad Team
Overview
Challenge: Encourage 18–35-year-olds to switch to cold-water washing without sacrificing Tide’s promise of clean.
Insight: Gen Z sees sustainability as self-expression. Taking care of their clothes is a way of taking care of their identity.
Idea: The Dial Makes the Difference — a campaign that turns washing on cold into an everyday act of self-care.
The Idea
We redefined “sustainability” to be personal, not preachy. Instead of asking people to change the world, we asked them to change one small habit — turning the dial.
Our campaign centered on showing how washing on cold preserves more than just energy — it preserves the clothes, memories, and self-expression people care about most.
Strategy
Our media plan brought the message to where our audience already engages — on their campuses, in resale culture, at concerts, and online.
We layered traditional, digital, and experiential touchpoints to make Turn to Cold both a behavior and a movement.
Results & Recognition
Our campaign brought together sustainability, culture, and self-care — turning a simple laundry habit into a broader movement. By aligning a household choice with personal values and social momentum, we demonstrated how small actions can trigger meaningful change.
While Tide’s real-world initiative shows that washing in cold can reduce energy usage by up to 90% per load. Tide has also committed to a goal of having three out of every four laundry loads washed in cold by 2030, which could avoid approximately 27 million metric tons of CO₂.
NSAC Awards:
Best Creative Concept
Best Partnerships
Best Presenter
Digital Ecosystem
We conceptualized a digital experience designed to reward users for choosing cold water washes.
The proposed Turn to Cold app and microsite would track laundry habits, estimate energy impact, and gamify behavior change through points, leaderboards, and digital rewards.
Proposed Features:
Tag scanner to verify cold washes
Campus leaderboard competitions
Carbon impact tracker and savings estimator
Weekly tips and engagement rewards
A personalized onboarding experience welcoming users into Tide’s cold-wash challenge.
A microsite that would pair education with engagement — letting users scan care tags and track environmental impact.
A mobile-first platform integrating gamification, savings tracking, and sustainability challenges.
Users could earn digital points for verified cold washes, redeemable for prizes or event entries.
A tag scanner using image recognition to confirm cold washes and encourage habit change.
Rewards could tie back to the larger campaign experience, offering exclusive event access.
Washed on Cold Tour
We developed a nationwide event concept called The Washed on Cold Tour, designed to turn cold-water washing into an engaging cultural moment.
In this activation, celebrities and influencers would compete on a giant obstacle course suspended over icy blue water — proving that “cold” can be fun, bold, and shareable. Hosted by Bill Nye and Jason Kelce, the event was envisioned to go viral and introduce the playful phrase “Washed on Cold.”
The “Washed on Cold Tour” brought Tide’s sustainability message to life through a playful, cold-themed obstacle course inspired by Wipeout.
Hosted by Bill Nye and Jason Kelce, the event combined science and entertainment to make cold washing memorable and fun.
A live stream showcased how the activation could expand digitally, with projected reach across YouTube and TikTok.
The term “Washed on Cold” was imagined as a cultural moment — redefined on Urban Dictionary to merge humor and sustainability.
Live Partnership: Coldplay
To expand the campaign beyond campus audiences, we conceptualized a one-night-only Turn to Cold concert partnership with Coldplay’s Music of the Spheres Tour.
In this collaboration, Coldplay’s circular stage would transform into the Tide dial — symbolizing how music, movement, and sustainability could come together in a shared, memorable experience.
Coldplay’s “Music of the Spheres” stage transformed into the Tide dial — turning sustainability into spectacle.
Concert moment where music, movement, and climate awareness unite under a glowing Tide dial.
Campus & Retail Integration
We imagined meeting students where they live — and do laundry.
In this concept, branded POD dispensers, campus signage, and localized scoreboard messages would tie cold-water washing to school pride.
At retail, a Goodwill partnership would extend the story through hangtags, patches, and in-store displays — showing how sustainability can start with small, everyday choices.
Tide PODS dispenser reimagined as a “cold-wash dial,” bringing the campaign message into everyday laundry moments.
In-store display showing campus leaderboard competition between schools — “Battle for the Bands: Coldest School Wins.”
Scoreboard quantifying energy savings — tying school pride to cold-water washing with local impact stats.
Billboard connecting cold-wash energy savings to university-scale achievements, like powering Husky Stadium for a game.
Goodwill retail takeover — integrating Tide’s cold-wash messaging into check-out counters and in-store visuals.
Campaign patch symbolizing the cold-wash commitment, designed to be earned through leaderboard achievements.
Hangtag featuring a scannable QR code that leads shoppers to learn about the benefits of washing on cold and track their impact.
Resale & Retail Partnerships
We envisioned connecting with Gen Z’s love for secondhand fashion through potential partnerships with Depop and Goodwill.
On Depop, sellers could earn a “Washed on Cold” verification badge to spotlight garment care and authenticity. At retail, imagined Goodwill signage would remind shoppers that “secondhand doesn’t have to stop at second” — showing how small actions can extend the life of the clothes we love.
Depop listing showing a “Washed on Cold” verification badge — rewarding sellers who care for their clothes sustainably.
Integration concept visualizing how the badge could appear in Depop’s interface alongside seller details and product listings.
Extended Depop mockup highlighting how verified cold-washed garments could stand out in search results and build shopper trust.
In-store signage for Goodwill partnership — reminding shoppers that “secondhand doesn’t have to stop at second” and encouraging cold-water washing to preserve their favorite finds.
Social & Influencer Layer
We imagined a social campaign that brought real stories to the spotlight.
Through #TurnToCold Stories, everyday creators could share why they wash cold — from marathoners preserving race gear to crocheters keeping handmade pieces alive.
To extend reach into audio spaces, a proposed partnership with Emma Chamberlain’s podcast Anything Goes would invite listeners to “Stay Bold and Go Cold,” connecting Tide’s sustainability message with a voice Gen Z already trusts.
Tide’s #TurnToCold Stories campaign, where everyday creators share why they wash cold — from marathoners preserving race gear to crocheters keeping handmade pieces alive.
A sponsored episode from Emma Chamberlain’s podcast “Anything Goes,” featuring the message “Stay Bold and Go Cold.”
Spotify campaign visuals showing how Tide could connect with Gen Z through subtle, story-driven creator partnerships.
A full episode feature on Apple Podcasts, continuing the cold-wash conversation in an authentic, relatable way.
Out of Home & Environments
We imagined Tide’s cold wash message coming to life in the real world — from laundromats to marathon finish lines.
Every out-of-home and experiential touchpoint carried the same playful, confident tone, showing that cold isn’t just effective — it’s powerful, clean, and cool.
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Media Team
As a media planner on the University of Oregon Ad Team — a competitive, student-run agency — I helped develop our award-winning campaign for Tide. Working closely with strategists, copywriters, and art directors, I created targeted media plans, allocated budgets, and translated audience insights into impactful placements that reached key demographics effectively.
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Ad Team
Our team competed in the National Student Advertising Competition (NSAC) with Tide’s #TurnToCold campaign, where I contributed to the media strategy and research. The experience strengthened my ability to collaborate under pressure, think strategically, and connect data-driven planning with creative storytelling — ultimately helping our campaign earn multiple NSAC awards.
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MEDIA
Director of Media Planning Emma Ramage Co-Media Planner Olivia Oldfield Co-Media Planner Alexa Wäcker Co-Media Planner Lily Wong Co-Media Planner Addie Peterson.
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STRATEGY
Director of Strategy Sophia Ramazotti Strategist Josie Willard Strategist Amelia Kennedy Strategist Malcolm Karow
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CREATIVE
Director of Art Direction and Design Sophia Fuselier AD/Designer Gabe Taylor AD/Designer Sydney Burdick AD/Designer Avery Ensing AD/Designer Audrey Baughman AD/Designer Emma Ballman
Director of Copywriting Veronica Thede Copywriter Taylor Bollenbaugh Copywriter Erik Reith
Director of Production Franny Milhizer Producer Ke’ali McCarter Producer Antonia Beil
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MANAGEMENT
Director of Account Management Nicole Alstrin Account Manager Melissa Rim
Co-Director of Project Management Haley Koski Co-Director of Project Management Conner Grams Project Manager Sophie Fenton