UpCircle wins £250k Sky Zero Footprint Fund 2023

Skincare brand UpCircle has won Sky Zero Footprint Fund’s £250k prize in media value to spend on TV this year with its TV commercial ‘forward thinking skincare that keeps you coming back’. UpCircle was founded by siblings Anna and Will Brightman when they discovered that more than 500,000 tonnes of coffee grounds that are consumed each year in the UK alone are sent to landfill. As a result, they began collecting coffee from cafes across London to reuse into skincare products. The company’s commercial concept follows a narrative in reverse, showcasing the “authentic” upcycled ingredient story behind its bestselling “Caffeinated Duo”, featuring their eye cream and face oil. According to the Sky Zero Footprint Fund panel, they were extremely impressed with all the final creatives presented but noted that UpCircle’s TVC grew “leaps and bounds” from the first round in the process. Anna Brightman said: “This project has been such a joy and walking away with £250K is the cherry on top. The time is SO right for UpCircle and this investment will be a game-changer for us in 2024. “There is no beauty brand doing more than we are, and there are few industries as wasteful as ours. The authenticity and sincerity of this TV commercial is true to our brand, one thing Sky were big fans of.” UpCircle, which is currently stocked in 45 countries, including at Holland and Barrett and Sephora in the UK, has grown its product range to over 50 products that use upcycled ingredients. Looking into the new year, UpCircle has prepared to maximise the potential of the £250K prize by running the narrative of its TV commercial parallel to an omni-channel campaign to support the widespread awareness that the fund offers. In 2023, UpCircle ran two successful coffee-themed national out-of-home campaigns and they plan to iterate on those moving into the new year. UpCircle will also be launching into a new category at the end of 2024, expanding its catalogue and engaging a new cohort of consumers.