Eco-clubbing at Bar Surya

Club4Climate recently announced the launch of (according to their press release) Britain’s first eco-nightclub. It is located at Bar Surya in Kings Cross, with the press launch occurring next week on the 10th July.

Among their initiatives include the use of poly-carbon cups, charitable donations, low-voltage lighting and a recyclable water system. However, the most eye-catching element of the scheme is the energy generating dancefloor. The Daily Mail have a diagram of how it will work here.

Due to the costs involved in getting this system up and running, this is more than a mere marketing stunt (though as the Mail story alludes to, you wonder how eco-friendly printing 200,000 Boris Johnson leaflets is). In spite of this, the club will need more than its eco-outlook to survive. I’m tentatively in favour of the idea, but there are several elements of this particular scheme that make me sceptical

• The initiative will get people in the door once. But the primary choice of clubbing venue revolves around where you will have the most fun. The website doesn’t contain any details on the styles of music or the DJs involved.
• People don’t want to be preached at on a night out. Making people sign a pledge (no. 8) before they are allowed to enter will turn people off
• Free entrance to those that travel via public transport, walk or cycle can go one of two ways. Firstly, unless they are targeting the upper reaches of society, the vast majority of clubbers will travel via tube or bus to get there (taxis are for the journey home only) and so few people may pay. However, how do you prove you have walked in? And getting a receipt for Oyster card journeys can be a hassle
• Sadly, the credit crunch means that people will start thinking about the now rather than the future. Will this disrupt eco-projects?

So as far as the PR goes, the venture is a hit. But i think the details may need to be adjusted for it to take off.

If the owners are looking for another PR move, perhaps they could stock some Booty Sweat – the fictional drink in the new Ben Stiller film that Paramount are licencing as a real product during the marketing campaign.

sk

EDIT: I’ve just noticed that Club4Climate have used the Cheeky Girls in a previous PR stunt. Looks like they won’t be going for that more affluent level of clubber

Advertisement