Born Free Foundation is adopting the style and approach of sales advertising and applying it to the natural world in “Nature’s Closing Down Sale”–a campaign urging people to adopt an endangered animal while they still can, and timed to coincide with Black Friday.
Created by ENGINE, at the heart of the campaign is a 60-second social film in which a larger-than-life salesman–played by English actor Harry Peacock–highlights that wild animal populations worldwide have declined nearly 70% in just 50 years. With the numbers of many much-loved animals–such as tigers, elephants and rhinos–dangerously low, and falling still.
Archive footage of endangered species in the wild being attacked by and overlaid with bouncing sales graphics is clearly visible behind the salesman as he makes his pitch. The powerful and provocative film, which will be released online and on social media–led by Twitter, Instagram and Facebook–is supported by an array of Out Of Home executions set to appear on sites donated by Jack and Ocean Outdoor.
In addition, ENGINE has created a digital pop-up Instagram shop for the campaign, enabling users to click through one of a dozen campaign-related posts to pay direct and quickly and easily adopt an endangered animal by sponsoring it for as little as $4 a month. People can also adopt an animal through the Born Free website.
The “Nature’s Closing Down Sale” campaign was created by James Hodson, Jason Keet, Alicia Job and Jessica Watson at ENGINE Creative. Creative Directors were Steve Hawthorne and Katy Hopkins. The film was directed by Chris Boyle at Private Island.
