WildAid, an environmental organization that focuses on reducing the demand for wildlife products, partnered with Wunderman, a leading global digital agency, to launch a China-based integrated activation campaign aimed at raising public awareness of the plight of pangolins, the world’s most trafficked wild mammal.
WildAid has enlisted celebrity spokesperson, Angelababy, to serve as the organization’s ambassador and have recently launched a campaign with her to promote awareness of the plight of these endangered pangolins. This phase of the campaign, created by Wunderman Shanghai, includes metro and airport advertising in major Chinese cities and an interactive WeChat platform that encourages conservation awareness of these gentle creatures through an interactive game.
The interactive game involves players going on a search for pangolins in a forest. Once they are able to spot and catch a pangolin, they are given a choice of what to do with their catch: sell, cook or bring home. All responses receive a personal reply from Angelababy encouraging them to stop the killing of these defenseless creatures, delivering the message of “when the buying stops, the killing can too.” Users are then prompted to spread the word of protecting pangolins on social media.
“We found that even with a superstar power like Angelababy, Chinese consumers are more likely to want a digital interactive platform that engages them in the message,” said Bryce Whitwam, CEO of Wunderman China.
Pangolins, the only known mammal with scales and are found in China as well as southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. These shy and harmless nocturnal mammals are the most heavily trafficked and poached for their meat and scales, believed in traditional Chinese medicine to cure rheumatism, asthma and other diseases.
DIVERGE talked to Bryce Whitwam, CEO of Wunderman China to find out more about this campaign:
Where did the idea come from?
Wunderman Shanghai created the idea from WildAid’s brief.
Who is the team behind this campaign?
Our Group Creative Director, Hans Ibrahim, came up with the idea along with his team.
Why is raising public awareness for this so important?
Pangolins are near extinction in China, yet most know little about the animal. Building awareness is the single best way to prevent the killing of this animal.
Take for instance, WildAid’s shark poaching campaigns have been hugely successful in getting people to stop eating shark fin soup in China.
How will the celebrity spokesperson help spread the word of this campaign?
Celebrities help get the word out quicker in China. People like Angelababy also help promote the campaigns on their social media platforms reaching millions.
They also serve as good role models for others to follow.
Where did the idea for a game come from? Why?
We thought it would help to better understand the pangolin’s true habitat through a game, rather than just simply releasing a video or a simple ad.
The game itself is also involving and interactive.
How will the game help grab the attention you hope to get?
Chinese are game crazy on social media. If you provide them an engaging game, they are almost 4 times more likely to engage in the message than if you simply posted something.
Additional thoughts?
Pangolins are probably not as cute as pandas or majestic as sharks but their protection warrants our attention.
We hope that this campaign can help stop the killing of this unique and defenseless animal.
