'Australia isn’t just where we live, it’s who we are' is the powerful message behind a new TVC produced by whiteGREY for WWF-Australia
The campaign calls on our identity as Australians to generate action with a simple appeal: Australian nature needs our Australian nature.
Filmed from the perspective of animals impacted by the devastating 2019-2020 bushfires, the commercial debuted on TV and social media as part of WWF-Australia’s new communication platform.
Viewers will be transported inside a wombat burrow during a fire storm, go behind the scenes at a koala hospital, and take flight with a flock of cockatoos.
Created to inspire a massive effort to restore habitat lost in the bushfires, the TVC ends with the message “plant a tree to Regenerate Australia now”.
WWF-Australia will plant a tree on behalf of every person who signs up at wwf.org.au to support Regenerate Australia – a multi-year program to rehabilitate wildlife and landscapes affected by the bushfires and future-proof Australia against a changing climate.
“We’re appealing to the determined, resilient and kind nature of Australians to help save Australian nature after the mega fires impacted three billion animals,” WWF-Australia chief marketing officer Yves Calmette says.
“Recovery from a disaster of that magnitude takes time. Australian nature needs our help.”
WWF-Australia announced its Regenerate Australia program last October, including an ambitious goal to double koala numbers on the east coast and fund innovative projects to help nature recover from the bushfires.
“As the ad says, we live in the lucky country, but our nature is being put to the test. We need to be more than lucky,” Calmette says.
“We fail to recognise that when we destroy nature, we also destroy our sense of identity. Australia is not just where we live, it is who we are. The campaign instils a responsibility to take action by calling on Australian qualities we’re all proud of.”
The campaign is a collaboration between WWF-Australia and agency, whiteGREY, and appeals to the strong, determined and compassionate nature of Australians.
“The campaign harnesses the Aussie spirit of rolled up sleeves and resilience that we’ve seen unfold in our country over the past year,” whiteGREY national managing director Katie Firth says.
“We need the urgency and determination of all Australians to Regenerate Australia – to help protect and restore what is distinctly Australian. It’s time we all played a part.”
The TVC features a cast of real wildlife carers, farmers, and Indigenous rangers, and was shot on location at Freshwater Creek Farm, West Barwon Reservoir and Jirrahlinga Koala & Wildlife Sanctuary in Victoria, and the bushfire-affected area of Merimbula in NSW.
Director Will Horne of AIRBAG used a variety of production techniques to capture the dramatic scenes and mimic the way animals view the world.
“The world needs more empathy. What I loved about this idea is that it puts the viewer in the shoes (paws) of some of Australia's most endangered animals," Horne says.
"We wanted people to understand the situation that Australian animals are facing and show that there is hope if we come together and act quickly. It was a truly ambitious project and one that I am proud to be a part of."
whiteGREY executive creative director Joe Hill says: “Regenerate Australia is an inspiring program of genuine action. Our goal was to give Australia a sense of the energy, intelligence and heart at work on the ground, and to give Australians a powerful reason to be part of it."
The TVC will air on free-to-air TV in Sydney from 18 July, supported by a national social media campaign and OOH advertising across Sydney.
Credits
Client: WWF-Australia
Agency: whiteGREY Australia
Prod Co: AIRBAG
Director: Will Horne
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