Berlin-Neukölln wanted to make repair a mainstream zero-waste practice—accessible to everyone, not just the eco-conscious. Building on the “Null Müll Neukölln” platform, we developed an AI-powered WhatsApp chatbot that turns knowing into doing: the RepairBot. The accompanying OOH campaign is built on the idea that some people go to great lengths to find creative workarounds rather than simply having their broken things repaired. The result: thousands of conversations with the RepairBot—and national interest in scaling it.
Neukölln faces two overlapping issues: illegal dumping in public space and a steady flow of discarded items that could still be used with a simple repair. Repair is one of the strongest levers for preventing waste and making circular practice tangible in daily life. Yet for most people, it feels more expensive and complicated than buying new. As long as that perception holds, zero waste remains with those already committed to sustainability rather than reaching the wider public.
Problem
Neukölln faces two overlapping issues: illegal dumping in public space and a steady flow of discarded items that could still be used with a simple repair. Repair is one of the strongest levers for preventing waste and making circular practice tangible in daily life. Yet for most people, it feels more expensive and complicated than buying new. As long as that perception holds, zero waste remains with those already committed to sustainability rather than reaching the wider public.
For repair to become genuinely accessible, awareness campaigns weren’t enough. It had to be as frictionless as ordering online—instant and always at hand. We developed an AI-powered RepairBot for Neukölln that runs on WhatsApp and puts repair guidance directly in your pocket, free and available around the clock. It also shows what repair options already exist in the neighborhood.
The campaign around it flipped the framing. Instead of positioning repair as sacrifice, “Reparieren ist smarter” (repair is smarter) sold it as the sharper everyday choice: a way to save money and keep things useful on your own terms. The campaign paired local humour with a real service offer. The launch closed with a repair weekend—free help from repair cafés and discounts from repair service providers.
Solution
For repair to become genuinely accessible, awareness campaigns weren’t enough. It had to be as frictionless as ordering online—instant and always at hand. We developed an AI-powered RepairBot for Neukölln that runs on WhatsApp and puts repair guidance directly in your pocket, free and available around the clock. It also shows what repair options already exist in the neighborhood.
The campaign around it flipped the framing. Instead of positioning repair as sacrifice, “Reparieren ist smarter” (repair is smarter) sold it as the sharper everyday choice: a way to save money and keep things useful on your own terms. The campaign paired local humour with a real service offer. The launch closed with a repair weekend—free help from repair cafés and discounts from repair service providers.
The campaign generated more than 5 million impressions online and offline. Over 600 chats in the first month showed that a low-threshold digital service can move people from information to action. Many users engaged with repair without ever having searched for it. At the same time, the campaign pulled repair out of its dated image and repositioned it as a smart everyday move. The RepairBot closes the gap between intent and action: anyone who wants to repair gets immediate guidance and a real next step. A zero-waste topic became a practical service.
Impact
The campaign generated more than 5 million impressions online and offline. Over 600 chats in the first month showed that a low-threshold digital service can move people from information to action. Many users engaged with repair without ever having searched for it. At the same time, the campaign pulled repair out of its dated image and repositioned it as a smart everyday move. The RepairBot closes the gap between intent and action: anyone who wants to repair gets immediate guidance and a real next step. A zero-waste topic became a practical service.
“NEW STANDARD.S went beyond the brief and developed a digital product that is empowering citizens and lowering the barriers to make repair the new normal. The creative approach has gained positive feedback from all of our stakeholders.”
— Bezirksamt Berlin-Neukölln
“After realizing that an OOH campaign can’t solve all of the problems responsible for the low s of repairing, we took a different route and, within weeks, created the RepairBot.”
— Anna Gurt, Creative Strategist
