The Campaign

To motivate audiences to change the animals’ fate, the campaign amplified the pain, suffocation and claustrophobia the animals suffer during the smuggling process, using subtle movements of agony to intrigue and engage audiences. Featuring a Yellow-crested Cockatoo and a group of Sunda Pangolins crushed against the screen struggling feebly for freedom, it mirrored real-life wildlife confiscations. A simple call-to-action -- ChangeTheirFate.sg -- took audiences to a gyrometer- and accelerometer-activated 360° web-app. This showcased an immersive experience that exposed the brutal and endless cycle of death. Audiences were given an opportunity to immediately take a stand by “Changing Their Fate,” which switched the experience to show a brighter future -- a cycle of life.

Creative Execution

The campaign ran from 10 March to 6 April 2016 on bus shelter billboards and in-train panels islandwide, as well as on mobile and social media. Using subtle movements of agony, the visuals cut through the noise and intrigued and engaged audiences within 3-seconds. A simple call-to-action -- ChangeTheirFate.sg -- took audiences to a gyrometer- and accelerometer-activated 360° web-app that exposed the brutal and endless cycle of death of the illegal wildlife trade. Audiences were given an opportunity to immediately take a stand by “Changing Their Fate,” which switched the experience to show a brighter future - a cycle of life. A microsite also supported the mobile experience, highlighting other endangered species trapped in the illegal wildlife trade, and provided information about how audiences can make a difference.

Since its launch, the campaign has generated on-ground and online buzz that continues to grow. 28k pledges 8.2k shares 620k views 214k reactions/likes *Since 13/4/2016 News of our campaign has also travelled further afield, with worthy mentions on Channel Newsasia Singapore, Campaign Asia Magazine, Campaign Brief Asia, Digital Market Asia, Mumbrella, Marketing Interactive, The Stable, The Drum, Adland TV and Inspiration Room.

The swath of static conservation messages that have been presented to consumers have numbed them to the plight of these critically endangered animals. How can Wildlife Reserves Singapore (WRS) ensure that they educate their consumers about the dangers of the illegal wildlife trade and act on it in a simple way? The insight was that the ability to stop the illegal wildlife trade lies not in the hands of the authorities, but in the hands of those who promote it through the purchase or those condoning it. Since consumers doom these animals to die, they have the power to change their fate. By presenting the dark and hard truths of the illegal wildlife trade with an interactive message, WRS wanted the mass of bystanders to take notice and shed their apathy towards the plight and death of these endangered animals.