Evergreen is showing its roots for a new national campaign that promotes the not-for-profit’s efforts to introduce and preserve nature in urban settings.
The effort targets Canadians who live in cities and who don’t know how they can help introduce more nature into their urban environments, said Matthew Church, director of marketing and development for Evergreen.
“We don’t have a level of awareness outside of our volunteer base,” he said. “We really need to push this out and make more people aware of what Evergreen is and does.”
The campaign, created pro bono by Zig, includes print, posters and TV, and uses the tag line: “Be the Root.”
The print and posters feature a thriving tree whose trunk gradually morphs into a person’s face, with their hair acting as the tree’s root.
“There’s a very obvious connection in a sense that you are the root,” said Church. “But the image itself is so powerful and playful, it’s appealing to many people.”
The body copy reads: “Nature in the city begins with all of us. The harder we try, the more it will thrive. We need your help.”
“Studies show that actively bringing nature to your city can increase your property value, improve your health, save you money, improve learning in schools, and reduce crime,” said Martin Beauvais, Zig’s executive creative director, in a release. “By encouraging them to ‘Be the Root’ we are able to demonstrate the simple ways they can have an impact and improve their surroundings.”
The creative drives viewers to Evergreen.ca, where they can learn the advantages of improving their local environment, uncover easy ways to get involved in making nature thrive in their neighbourhoods, a list of national “green” events, and information on Evergreen’s various initiatives.
Evergreen will be launching a more user-friendly website in the coming months. It will allow people to see “how they can make a difference,” said Church. “They can come here and learn about what events are going on or what kind of funding we offer.”
The print ads are currently running in Canadian Gardening, the posters will run across the Zoom Media network in May, and the PSAs will air this summer.
