From Lloyds’ black stallion to Andrex’s puppies, animals take part in their fair share of advertising campaigns. According to Mars, it’s about time advertisers give something back.
The FMCG brand announced at Cannes Lions festival that it will be joining the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)’s fund, The Lion’s Share, as its first advertising partner – urging others companies to do the same.
The UNDP is asking advertisers to contribute 0.5% of their media spend to the fund for every ad they use featuring an animal. The Lion’s Share’s funds will be used to support animals and their habitats around the world as, according to UNDP administrator Achim Steiner, loss of species in the wild is estimated to be 1000 times the natural extinction rate.
Joining the project as special ambassador, Sir David Attenborough said: “Animals are in 20 percent of all advertisements we see. Yet, they do not always receive the support they deserve. Until now.”
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For Mars, this is another step in the brand’s commitment to sustainability and biodiversity. The company unveiled its Sustainable in a Generation plan last year, pledging to invest $1bn over the next few years to tackle threats like climate change, poverty in its value chain and a scarcity of resources.
“We’re passionate about wildlife conservation and maintaining the biodiversity absolutely necessary for our planet. And animals need our help closer to home, too,” said Andrew Clarke, chief marketing and customer officer at Mars.
“The Lion’s Share is exactly the sort of ambitious initiative we need to take in order to ensure we foster a healthy planet on which everyone – including animals – can thrive.”
The project was initiated in collaboration with production company Finch; other partners already include ad network BBDO and measurement company Nielsen.
Certainly the tide seems to be turning for animals in advertising – PaddyPower has promised to donate a five-figure sum to Polar Bears International after controversy surrounding its World Cup advertising campaign.
However, it does seem that for the moment, “the lion’s share” of money from this project will be reserved for wild animals. Perhaps soon the animals Mars puts in its pet food will get their cut too.
