It’s do or die time.

Entire species of animals are disappearing right before our eyes. Because of climate change. Because their homes are being destroyed. Because poachers and trophy hunters are ruthlessly killing them.

It’s a state of conservancy emergency. We need to do something—now.

Enter Let’s Turn Things Around—a jarring campaign that instantly communicates the time sensitivity and urgency needed to save our animals.

We created a platform for people to rally around, empowering them to be part of the solution.

We showed how donations to the San Diego Zoo Global Wildlife Conservancy make an impact and ignite action.

Let’s Turn Things Around is a stake in the ground, a call to action, an invitation to join the fight, and a mission statement all rolled into one.

The San Diego Zoo Global Wildlife Conservancy is leading the fight to end extinction, but outside of San Diego, no one knows about their efforts. How can we turn a regional, science-based fundraising effort into a global one?

It all starts with the data.

We used machine learning to mine over 370,000 social conversations about wildlife conservation, then compared Zoo member and donor records to our TotalSource Plus data files (which include demographic, financial and shopping/purchasing data), producing a segmentation scheme that allowed us to model audiences with a propensity to donate.

Two contrasting emotions rose to the surface: disappointment and optimism. Potential donors were disappointed in the state of conservation overall, but optimistic about science-based solutions (which is right in the Wildlife Conservancy’s wheelhouse).

We leveraged a data-informed storytelling formula of problem, solution, and hope throughout all campaign pieces. The problem was presented with startling extinction statistics followed by hard-hitting fundraising success stories. These science-based solutions, mixed with stewardship efforts, delivered hope and highlighted what the Zoo does best. We then brought these divergent emotions to life in a visual metaphor.

Launched on World Rhino Day (9/22/17), Let’s Turn Things Around utilized a simple yet powerful set of design aesthetics. Black and white photography was used to accentuate the animals’ plight and highlight the problem. Color photography showcased the hope and optimism surrounding all the good work being done.

The campaign is a true multi-channel effort that includes email, social, digital, video, display banners, PSAs, and even friend-raising campaigns. Appearing nationally, we executed 20+ emails, 8 owned posts, 13 boosted posts, 21 ad posts, and 3 Facebook Live Events.

Let’s Turn Things Around is an ongoing success story. The donations keep pouring in, and the consensus is obvious: people are turning things around.