EcoTree’s business model does not just help the environment flourish, but also biodiversity, local communities and even customers’ wallets. To illustrate this, we used an iconic symbol for growth. Etchings of dates and numbers on a wall, used by parents to chart their kid’s growth. This visual mnemonic symbolises the passage of time, and its use within a family setting represents the love and care that goes into planting, maintaining and managing trees at EcoTrees. The line also works hand-in-hand with the visual to bring out how different stakeholders can thrive with the help of the trees.

We wanted to do a Plant-A-Tree ad that did not have a tree front and centre, as the category has been oversaturated by the same imagery for years. Instead, the approach of using a children’s growth chart was deliberate to garner interest and make our climate-conscious audience curious to know more.

There are a multitude of Plant-A-Tree programmes that oversimplify reforestation, whittling the process down to a “buy this” or “share that”. And while these mechanics make it easy for consumers to take action, some question the legitimacy of these projects, and others wonder how capitalism is a solve for our climate crisis. Plus, with an increasing number of activism-led scams in recent years, consumers today are more discerning and doubtful than ever.

When talking about forest and ecosystem restoration projects, the question on their minds is, "How?"

To answer them, we will differentiate ourselves from the barrage of oversimplified messaging and instead, take them through the entire process. We want to show them how their contribution makes a difference, from start to end. After all, planting a tree is not a one-off act; the work that goes into maintenance and management is hard, requiring special care and attention. One that EcoTree owners can see for themselves via the online platform or even in real life.

This approach of being transparent will help convince our audience that EcoTree is a legitimate tree-ownership company that does real good for the environment, its partners and its customers.