The Umbrella Species
WWF
Overview
Representing the importance of umbrella species through nesting dolls.
The Challenge
In celebration of their 50th anniversary, WWF aimed to raise awareness about the protection of endangered species and habitats, focusing on umbrella species. Given the vast range of environmental factors, it can be challenging to know where to begin.
WWF tasked TBWA\Paris with making this issue more tangible and easier to comprehend, with the goal of recruiting new supporters and raising funds for endangered species and spaces. The first question to address was: “What in the world is an umbrella species?
The Solution
An umbrella species is identified for making conservation-related decisions, usually because protecting that species indirectly protects many others in that ecosystem.
TBWA\Paris decided that there was no better representation of this chain protection than nesting dolls. You may never know what an umbrella species is capable of protecting until you take a closer, deeper look–just like a nesting doll. With the help of four illustrators, four families of umbrella dolls were created, each with very individual styles.
The dolls were featured in the virtual gallery of umbrella species specially created for the occasion, as well as on social media with CGI and Influencer content, on billboards all over France and as real dolls which are now on the market.
The Results
After two stock-outs, nearly 10,000 umbrella doll families were sold for the holiday season. WWF received €1,119,118 in donations, a 10% increase compared to the same period in 2022. In one month their website saw 76,000 visits with the average user spending two and half minutes on the site. Importantly, the campaign reached millions of people, spreading awareness of umbrella species and raising support for our environment.
Watch the Film
