Winners & Shortlists

THE 3D ELEPHANT PETITION

TitleTHE 3D ELEPHANT PETITION
BrandWORLD ANIMAL PROTECTION
Product/ServiceANIMAL WELFARE ORGANIZATION
Category A09. INNOVATIVE USE OF TECHNOLOGY
Entrant Company FHV BBDO Amsterdam, THE NETHERLANDS
Advertising Agency FHV BBDO Amsterdam, THE NETHERLANDS
Production Company MINIVEGAS Amsterdam, THE NETHERLANDS
Credits
Name Company Position
Tim De Waard FHV BBDO Copywriter
Daniel Samama FHV BBDO Art Director
Mark Muller FHV BBDO Creative Director
Martin Cornelissen FHV BBDO Creative Director
Derk Van Beek FHV BBDO Strategy Manager
Vincent Seeber FHV BBDO Strategy Executive
Eke Rog FHV BBDO Client Services Director
Niki Lodder FHV BBDO Account Manager
Ellen Visée FHV BBDO Account Manager
Hans Dekker FHV BBDO Online Producer
Carien Van Leeuwen FHV BBDO Online Producer
Bas De Graaf FHV BBDO Design Director
Nicole Clerc FHV BBDO Designer
Esmee Lechner FHV BBDO Interactive Designer
Dean Refos FHV BBDO Video Animation
Joris Van Tubergen Rooie Joris 3d Printing Specialist
Dolf Veenvliet Macouno Designer
Marcel Kremer Mont Blanc Graphic Producer
Bert Hagendoorn Pr Manager
Lot Bosch Van Drakenstein Pr Manager

Creative Execution

People could sign the petition at our specially developed microsite. The moment people added their name, they saw their personal piece of material being added to the printers. All the names of the petitioners were printed on the skin of the elephant in a custom-made font. It made the names look like the texture of elephant skin. Through social media, participants could encourage their friends to sign and help build the elephant. Visitors could follow the printing progress 24/7 through three live cameras, which could be switched individually by users.

In just three weeks, more than 30,000 people signed the petition. This exceeded our initial goal of 20,000 petitioners. Our 3D printed elephant received national and international press coverage, raising awareness for the cruelty inflicted on elephants in the tourism industry. In total the campaign had an earned media reach of approximately 8,6 million people. We then used the 3D Elephant Petition to persuade travel organisations to stop offering elephant rides. Sixteen of the biggest travel organisations agreed, resulting in 29.000 fewer elephant rides expected to be booked this year.

Every year, thousands of young elephants are illegally captured, cruelly trained and sold to the tourism industry. Tourists riding an elephant on their holiday are unaware of this suffering. To raise awareness and help reduce demand for elephant rides, Word Animal Protection started a petition you could sign by pledging never to ride an elephant. How could we make sure this petition would get the attention it deserves? And how could we get travellers to sign it? We created a petition in the shape of a life-sized elephant, printed by five custom-built 3D printers. By signing the petition, you activated the printers to add another piece to the elephant, and embed your name in its skin! To ensure visibility we built our elephant at a spot where tens of thousands of travellers pass every day: the national airport.