WWF: Working with the WWF to re-energise their leading global event

To prepare for the 10th anniversary of its largest public activation campaign in the UK, the WWF needed to deliver its most inspiring, relevant and meaningful Earth Hour yet. Insight The World Wide Fund for Nature is the world’s leading independent conservation organisation, building a future in which people and nature can thrive together. Earth Hour is the world’s largest demonstration of support for action on climate change. Each year, millions of people around the world come together to call for action to protect our brilliant planet. The celebrations have grown each year, spreading round the world, with a record 178 countries taking part in 2016. Iconic landmarks across the UK switched off their lights, from Big Ben and Buckingham Palace, to Brighton Pier and Edinburgh Castle, joining the millions of Earth Hour celebrations. With Saturday 25th March 2017 marking the 10th anniversary of Earth Hour, it was set to be the biggest yet. Ideas With such ambition in mind, the organisation cast the creative net far and wide, inviting several agencies to pitch. Two out of rbl’s three creative concepts were unanimously selected for testing by a WWF panel, alleviating the need for any further creative pitch. rbl worked with WWF to hone the event’s proposition, to ensure it connects with the wide variety of audiences. At one end of the spectrum there are the younger, newer supporters who see the event as a sustainable ‘New Year’s Eve’ (bringing friends together for the evening to celebrate a countdown to a global moment). At the other are the charity’s more traditional supporters, who see the event as a moment to reflect, take a deep breath and spend time with the people who are important to them. Impact The solution was to encourage the audience to ‘make your Earth Hour matter’, reflecting the personal meaning of the event, whilst also highlighting its benefits to the wider cause. With that foundation in place, rbl went on to create a flexible yet distinctive identity for the event, along with an aspirational look and feel that used premium photography. This allowed us to tap into the current trend for ‘hygge’ (the Danish word for a feeling of cosy contentment) and show people enjoying holding their own unique Earth Hour.