Covid’s lockdowns did a little to alleviate, temporarily, the stresses we humans are wreaking on the environment but in the UK, the pandemic also put on hold The National Trust’s major fundraising drive. The campaign, planned and paid for in March, had to be put on hold due to lockdown, and it was the charity’s nature conservation work which was hardest hit with projects having to be paused or cancelled as a result of severe financial losses due to the coronavirus pandemic. This was despite immediately pausing spending on most of its projects and furloughing 80% of its staff.
The National Trust and Wieden + Kennedy London have now launched their campaign, #EveryoneNeedsNature, to raise awareness of how connection to nature enriches lives and how vital it is to preserve and protect nature and wildlife, and to raise funds for nature conservation.
The campaign will appear on ITV, Channel 4 and Sky, on billboards around the country, and in national newspapers and magazines, over a six week period.
It is led by six TVCs that focus nature and wellbeing and on the universal need for nature and supports the Trust’s aim to mark its 125th anniversary in January by planting 20 million trees and creating green corridors for nature. The campaign also signals the start of more sustained fundraising appeals by the conservation charity. It will seek donations from both existing supporters and new ones who have an increased interest in nature following lockdown.
Donations will be used for a variety of nature conservation work programmes; £5 will buy and plant a tree, £10 will help maintain coastal footpaths and £15 will help with wildflower meadow creation.
The Trust will also continue to appeal for donations to help protect its houses and collections and emphasise the importance of people joining and remaining as members to fund this vital conservation work.
Tony Davidson, executive creative director, W+K London, commented, “A connection to green spaces, wildlife and a sense of calm are essential for our well-being. ‘Everyone Needs Nature’ helps remind people of nature’s calming effects. The National Trust has been helping to protect nature for the past 125 years and this year, more than ever, it needs our help to continue doing it for generations to come.”
The National Trust’s marketing director, Shaherazad Umbreen, who joined the charity in May from the Co-operative, stated, “We are very aware of the impact our losses will have on our ability to achieve our ambitions for nature so we decided to sharpen our focus on fundraising and on awareness raising of the work that we do.
“Lockdown, more than any other period of time, showed us clearer than ever before the value of nature and its importance for our wellbeing. Spending time outdoors became the one moment people could look forward to in their day, and as restrictions eased, meeting up with friends in nature – in gardens, parks and the open countryside has given many something positive to focus on as we have all navigated these challenging times.
“Now, more than ever, we need to engage with more people, make clear our ambitions to help nature and take our members and supporters on a journey with us.”
Findings from a YouGov poll commissioned by the National Trust in June revealed that 38% of adults said spending time in nature was the moment they looked forward to most each day during lockdown, 33% of respondents said that since lockdown their interest in nature had increased and 68% either agreed or strongly agreed that spending time noticing the nature around them has made them feel happy during lockdown.
Credits:
Agency: W+K London
Creative Director: Flo Heiss
Creatives: Derek Lui, Harry Ingrams, Joanna Cassidy Osborne, Joseph Paul & Richard Biggs
Executive Creative Directors: Tony Davidson & Iain Tait
Account Directors: Ollie Pym & Sam Hunton
Account Manager Preety Mudhar
Chief Strategy Officer: Ben Armistead
Planning Director: Sam Belt
Planner: Vincent Johnson
Producers (TV + Print): Rose Fairley & Sahar Bluck
Design Director: Karen Jane
Lead Designer: Alex Thursby-Pelham
Designer: Xueling Wang
Business Affairs: Helena Thomas
Production Company: All Mighty Pictures
Director & DOP: Anthony Dickenson
Executive Producer & Creative Director: Mark Harbour
Editing: Jack Williams @ The Assembly Rooms Editor
Footage Research Company: The Director Studio
Post Production: Time Based Arts Post
Producer: Jo Gutteridge
Flame Artist: Adam Paterson
Animation Lead: Jess Gorrick
Animators: Tom Robinson & Tom Mackay-Thomas
Colourist: Lewis Crossfield
Sound Design: Joe Wilkinson @ String and Tins
Media Agency: Medialabs Group
Client: National Trust
Client Team: Mark Scott, Rebecca Cogswell & Duncan Ogle-Skan
