Montreal-based Birks launched a new CSR effort that supports the conservation of honey bees. The luxury jeweller has introduced new bee-themed jewellery collections and is aiming to raise awareness about bee extinction.
Massive declines in bee populations have been reported around the world in recent years. The phenomenon known as “colony collapse” threatens agricultural production, as nearly one-third of the global food supply is pollinated by bees.
Birks’ alignment with the cause emerged from a rebranding exercise that started about two years ago. Its new brand identity, which is the foundation for Birks’ marketing campaigns and jewellery collections, is tied to Canadian nature. Last summer, the 135-year-old company launched a new campaign with the tagline, “Discover Birks in all its purity,” referencing the fact that Birks only sources Canadian diamonds.
“At the same time [as the rebranding exercise], we started thinking about adopting a cause that continued our commitment to sustainability but made sense for the brand,” said Eva Hartling, vice-president of marketing at Birks Group Inc.
As part of its efforts, Birks has partnered with the Honey Bee Research Centre at the University of Guelph in Ontario. The retailer is giving 10% of sales of a Birks honeycomb-shaped silver pendant to the HBRC to support its research on the bee crisis.
The pendant is part of the company’s new bee-inspired jewellery lines. Birks launched three new collections called Birks Bee Chic, Birks Bee Sweet and Birks Busy Bee with various designs made of yellow gold, silver, gemstones and diamonds.
A print campaign, created by Birks’ new agency of record, DentsuBos, promotes the company’s new collections and its support of the cause. Copy at the bottom of the ad reads, “Birks is proud to support honey bee conservation” and the line “Birks for bees.” The ads are running in the Globe & Mail, La Presse and Fashion magazine.
Birks is also creating an urban beekeeping installation and suspended green roof at its Square Phillips flagship boutique in Montreal in partnership with Alvéole, a local group that promotes urban beekeeping, and Topia, a landscape design firm.
“Urban beekeeping has emerged as a key driver in helping solve the [bee population] issue,” said Hartling. “For us, it’s about contributing to solving the issue in a very concrete manner and raising awareness about the issue.”
