21 Nov 2007 - Beijing,
China – An advertising campaign aimed at
changing consumer attitudes about unsustainable
wildlife trade was today launched in Beijing.
The campaign, consisting of creative print,
video and online advertisements, is part
of an awareness-raising project between
WWF and TRAFFIC, with support from Ogilvy,
the international advertising agency.
Each year, hundreds of millions of plants
and animals are caught or harvested from
the wild in China and then sold as food,
pets, ornamental plants, leather, tourist
curios and medicine. Although much of this
trade is legal and does not harm wild populations,
a worryingly proportion is illegal and is
threatening the survival of many animal
and plant species that are being pushed
dangerously close to extinction.
The campaign aims to encourage sustainability
in wildlife trade by informing urban consumers
about the environmental harm that illegal
and unsustainable wildlife trade causes,
and by providing guidance on how to counteract
it.
Graphic images will depict the long evolutionary
history of a particular species, ending
abruptly at the wildlife products that threaten
its survival. For example, the evolution
of tigers stops at a bottle of tiger bone
wine, the evolution of Asian freshwater
turtles ends at a bowl of soup, while elephant
evolution finishes at an ivory carving.
”One of the most powerful tools for addressing
illegal and unsustainable wildlife trade
is to persuade consumers to make informed
choices when buying wildlife-based products,”
said Xu Hongfa, head of TRAFFIC’s China
programme.
“I believe this campaign will get consumers
thinking about their consumption habits,
and I urge them to join us in working to
conserve our irreplaceable natural heritage."
The campaign will take place in the months
leading up to Chinese New Year, a time when
wildlife products are often consumed as
luxury food or given as gifts.
END NOTES:
• The Beijing subway is currently running
the campaign video on an electronic subway
tunnel billboard at Jianguomen station through
20 December. Campaign ads will also be appearing
on TV stations around the country.
Caroline Liou, Programme Officer
TRAFFIC China
