Sheba launches coral restoration initiative

The cat food brand Sheba is launching a global purpose led marketing campaign to help restore coral reefs.

The ‘Hope Grows’ collaboration between Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO, Mars Sustainable Solutions and the Sheba brand team, sees the creation of the Sheba Hope Reef, a living, thriving coral reef, planted in August 2019 on a site that was once barren. The reef, off the coast of Sulawesi in Indonesia’s Spermonde Archipelago, was built using innovative structures known as Reef Stars and is a living billboard

Satellite images of the site reveal the letters H-O-P-E spelled with regrown coral. The message is designed to drive awareness, and act as a symbol to the world of how positive change below water can happen within our lifetime. The initiative aims to restore coral reefs measuring more than 185,000 square meters around the world by 2029.

The site is discoverable on Google Maps and Google Earth, and viewable underwater in Google Street View. Reef Stars were also used as the basis of a bespoke visual identity – creating an animated growing coral typeface for use in outdoor, social and online.

In a partnership with Google, Sheba has created the ‘Channel that Grows Coral’ with all ad revenue generated donated to the Nature Conservancy for coral restoration. The channel will feature a film created by AMV BBDO, which follows the engaging story of a little blue fish exploring Hope Reef.

The campaign launches in eight key markets, across digital, social, Google Maps, OOH, ecommerce/website launch, influencer activity, on pack and in store. Sheba has also partnered with National Geographic, to tell the story.

CREDITS

Client: Mars

Brand: Sheba

Campaign title: Hope Grows

Client name: Denise Truelove, Sam West, Kerrita McClaughlyn, Jane Wakely

Creative Agency: AMV BBDO

CCO: Alex Grieve

ECDs: Nadja Lossgott and Nicholas Hulley

Creative Director: Andre Hull, Clark Edwards, Mario Kerkstra (art director)

Creative Team: Clark Edwards & Andre Hull, Mat Scholes & Pieter Rossouw, Ricardo Porto & Victor Bustani

Creative Design Director: Mario Kerkstra

Agency Planning Team: Emily Brydon, Brian Williamson, Talitha Turbin, Lola Finney-Neves

Agency Account Team: Laura Balfour, Ella Dolding, Ella Fanshawe, Alice Kasappian, Maddie Burnell

Agency Producer: Nick Godden, Leonie Chaudhry, Adrienn Major, Shail Mehta, Felicity Bamber, Freya Axworthy, Claire Nolan, Vicki Lavington, Laura Rawdon

Media Agency: Mediacom

Production Company: Framestore, Weare17, Google (Bryan Ruiz) The Glue Society, Indo Pacific Films, Flare Production, Make Me Pulse, W3, King Henry

Director: ‘HOPE GROWS’ - Murray Butler @ Framestore, ‘The Making of’ Paul Bruty @ The Glue Society

VFX Supervisor: Grant Walker

CG Supervisor: Hernan Llano

Production Co. Producer: HOPE GROWS - Sophie Harrison, ‘The Making of’ - Jasmin Helliar

Edit: Maia Lloyd @ Shortcut Club

Post-production Company: Framestore & Flare Productions

Sound studio: ICHOLAB. Song composer Biggi Hilmars for Radford Music

Audio Post-production: ICHOLAB

Digital Design Company: Make Me Pulse

Digital & Social Art Director: Mat Scholes & Pieter Rossouw, Mario Kerkstra

Digital & Social Copywriter: Mat Scholes & Pieter Rossouw, Hermione Wright