How DDB and Acciona make old wind turbines into the coolest surfboards around

Ad Nut believes windmills have been unfairly maligned for centuries. Don Quixote tilted at them in a fit of delusion in one of Ad Nut’s favourite literary classics. And even today, they remain a puzzlingly popular punching bag for those with more bluster than sense. 

However, a new initiative from Australian sustainable energy specialist Acciona and DDB Group Melbourne might just bring windmills (or wind turbines as they prefer to be called these days) on the path to redemption.

Acciona has launched ‘Turbine Made, ’ an initiative to turn decommissioned wind turbine blades into innovative products. What gladdens Ad Nut’s woodlands-loving heart is that these blades would otherwise have been destined for a long, non-biodegradable afterlife in a landfill.

The first product from Turbine Made is a surfboard. While Ad Nut has never surfed the seas, preferring more arboreal pleasures, the boards co-designed and developed in collaboration with Aussie pro surfer Josh Kerr and his team at Draft Surf look enticing. Acciona and DDB say that they are already all the rage in surfing circles.

DDB Group Melbourne executive creative director Giles Watson said, "Surfers have an unbreakable bond with the environment, so creating a board from recycled turbine blades helps inspire the next generation of environmentalists. Beyond being bl**dy cool, this project proves that sustainability and performance can go hand in hand—opening the door for a wave of new possibilities with Turbine Made."

Caroline Pinter, general manager of brand and marketing at Acciona, added, “We have long been connected to the surfing community. At our first wind farm in Navarra, Spain, local surfboard shapers helped repair turbine blades because of their expertise in fibreglass. This surfboard continues that shared history and reinforces our commitment to making the circular economy a reality."

The surfboards are just the beginning—Acciona promises Turbine Made will be an ongoing initiative with hundreds of businesses and individuals creating sustainable products using recycled wind turbine material.

Ad Nut, always on the lookout for intriguing trinkets and gewgaws, eagerly awaits what’s next. A wind-powered hammock? A turbine-blade treehouse? A sustainable squirrel-sized surfboard? If anyone’s taking requests, Ad Nut has a very long wishlist. 

CREDITS

Client: ACCIONA Energia
Agency: DDB Group Melbourne
PR: Mango Communications
Illustrator: Jake Foreman (Jacky Winter)
Production: DDB's Maker Studios 6 Eyre films
Photographer: Hayden Richards
Sound: Bang Bang

Ad Nut is a surprisingly literate woodland creature that for unknown reasons has an unhealthy obsession with advertising. Ad Nut gathers ads from all over Asia and the world for your viewing pleasure, because Ad Nut loves you. You can also check out Ad Nut's Advertising Hall of Fame, or read about Ad Nut's strange obsession with 'murderous beasts'.