Luxury fashion brand Gucci has become the latest advertiser to sign on to Australian-founded wildlife conservation initiative The Lion's Share Fund.
Animals appear in about 20% of all advertisements in the world, yet despite this animals do not always receive the support they deserve.
The initiative, co-founded by FINCH founder Robert Galluzzo and director Christopher Nelius in 2018, allows brands to donate a media spend to wildlife conservation and animal welfare globally whenever an animal appears in one of their advertisements.
“Gucci signing up to The Lion’s Share Fund signifies a great indicator that systemic change is happening, and there are more brand announcements to come," Galluzzo says.
Gucci president and CEO Marco Bizzari says joining the initiative is an "important addition" to the luxury brand's current conservation strategy.
"Nature and wildlife provide Gucci with inspired creation that is an integral part of our narrative through our collections and campaigns," Bizzari says.
"With the increasing threats to the planet’s biodiversity, groundbreaking initiatives like The Lion’s Share Fund have the potential to be transformative by organically connecting the business community with direct action to protect our natural habitats and most threatened species.”
The Fund is led by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and a coalition of businesses and UN partners.
It aims to raise over $100 million per year within the next five years for animal conservation, biodiversity and the climate across the globe.
"This partnership with Gucci marks the continuing evolution of this innovative fund, which provides a unique opportunity for brands across all industries to join forces and help preserve and protect biodiversity across the globe," UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner says.
"Wildlife populations are half the size they were just 50 years ago, and their habitats and ecosystems are destroyed at an unprecedented rate due to human activity. The Lion’s Share is an idea that is as innovative as it is simple – and it makes a real impact on wildlife conservation."
Gucci joins a growing list of brands signing up to The Lion's Share Fund including NRMA and CGU, which became the first Australian brands to become a part of the initiative.
Since its launch the Fund has already had a significant impact on conservation, providing a grant to improve critical radio systems for law enforcement officers protecting wildlife in Mozambique’s Niassa Nature Reserve and helping reduce the elephant poaching rate to zero.
The Fund has also established a grant to help secure land for endangered orangutans, elephants and tigers in North Sumatra in Indonesia.
The Lion’s Share gives brands the opportunity to take urgent and significant action and play their part in protecting the planet.
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