Back Market Joins Forces with Life After Ad to Breathe a Second new Life into its OOH Advertising

Back Market Joins Forces with Life After Ad to Breathe a Second new Life into its OOH Advertising

Jan. 24, 2025

Back Market, the global leader in refurbished tech, is breaking new ground this January - literally. Teaming up with Patrick Vernuccio, aka The Frenchie Gardener, and co-founder of Life After Ad, Back Market is turning its out-of-home (OOH) advertising into an eco-conscious movement. A former billboard in Peckham has been upcycled into garden grow bags, now enriching Hackney City Farm and empowering London’s urban gardening scene.

Much like its refurbished devices, Back Market has given its latest OOH advertising campaign a second life. The recycled materials were transformed into grow bags, filled with locally sourced compost and plants, and distributed to Hackney City Farm by urban gardening advocates, Tayshan Hayden-Smith and Jack Hodgson, who are dedicated to enabling access to nature. The initiative is a tangible step towards inspiring the nation to think creatively about circularity. 

Viewers can follow the Life After Ad initiative on screen, from dismantling the billboard to the full upcycling process, including the planting of a mini food forest at Hackney City Farm. The journey is documented on Patrick’s (The Frenchie Gardener) YouTube channel coming soon, as well as across the social media pages of Patrick, Tayshan, and Jack.

Encouraging future planet-saving superheroes to think more sustainably, Back Market is hosting an educational workshop with a local primary school at Hackney City Farm this month. Led by permaculture designer Jack Hodgson, the hands-on session will engage children in greener gardening practices. Participants will be shown how to grow microgreens, learn essential gardening skills, and discover the environmental power of small actions - mirroring Back Market’s mission to extend the life cycle of electronics and reduce waste.

Supporting this mission, new research from Back Market highlights the importance of green spaces in urban life. It reveals that three-quarters of urban children in London have seen more wildlife on screens than in real life due to limited outdoor space at home. In fact, 21% of children aged 7-14 in London have less than 10 square metres of outdoor space. This partnership not only promotes sustainability but also aims to spark meaningful change in how we engage with our environment.

Luke Forshaw, Head of Brand at Back Market, commented:

"Partnering with Patrick and Life After Ad has been an exciting opportunity to bring our shared values to life. At Back Market, we're dedicated to fostering a circular economy, and this initiative truly embodies that commitment. Repurposing our old OOH ads into grow bags gives them a new beginning—just like our refurbished tech, and we’re incredibly excited to see the generation of the future learning how they can continue this mission!"

 

As a champion of urban gardening and regenerative living, Patrick co-founded Life After Ad to set a new standard in the advertising industry. His goal is to inspire companies to embrace environmental responsibility by giving another life to ads that would be otherwise discarded. 

Patrick Vernuccio, "The Frenchie Gardener" commented: 

"Life After Ad is about finding new, creative ways to transform waste into something meaningful. Through this initiative, we’re challenging the industry to rethink its environmental impact and enact genuine change. The partnership with Back Market was a natural fit, as they are deeply committed to extending the life cycle of electronics and reducing e-waste - a mission that aligns with our goal of promoting circular thinking, reconnecting people with nature and inspiring urban farms. Together, we’ve transformed old advertising materials into grow bags, demonstrating how creativity can turn waste into something that benefits both people and the planet.”

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