The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, has created a new marketing campaign to coincide with COP27, designed to showcase the role of plants in our planet’s future and call for effective action to support a more sustainable future.
With over 1 million plant and animal species now facing extinction, the activity features an urgent appeal to world leaders, policymakers and the wider public.
The organisation has two gardens, Kew and Wakehurst in Sussex, which between them draw 2.5 million visitors each year.
Alongside the glasshouses and gardens, over 350 scientists and over 100 global partners work with Kew’s collections to understand, document and protect the world’s wild and endangered plant and fungal biodiversity.
This year’s campaign builds on the “Our Future is Botanic” branding devised by VCCP London last year and brings to the fore the vital importance and fragility of the planet’s biodiversity, sharing Kew’s mission to protect biodiversity for the benefit of mankind.
Unlocking the power of plants and discovering a brighter future for the planet, a new film has been created to reimagine the world in 2050, where plants are the answer to many of humanity’s challenges, be it medicine, fuel, food or shelter.
Featuring bold, emotive statements on a future inspired by the work of Kew, the 30″ film guides us through the botanical potentials; a world where pondweeds can power homes, more carbon is captured by soil, and flowers are fighting cancer.
Using close ups of these powerful plants, engaged in their incredible detail, the film spotlights the role they could play in creating a brighter, more sustainable future.
With its world leading research and the Millennium Seed Bank, Kew aims to showcase the potential of plants and fungi to tackle climate change and biodiversity loss, fuel shortages, disease and world hunger. This campaign invites the nation to join, donate and engage in its research to help make this a reality.
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew director of marketing and commercial enterprise Sandra Botterell said: “The time is now. We have come to a critical moment in the health of our planet and we really do need to act to protect our wonderful biodiversity.
“Three in five plants are currently at risk of extinction and without protecting our planets plants and fungi, we may never have the chance to find the next fuel, food or shelter. This campaign developed by VCCP helps us to eloquently tell our story and we hope it will encourage people to support the work of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.”
VCCP London creative director Zoe Stock added: “Our Future Is Botanic is a beacon of hope in a time when conversations around climate change can feel incredibly bleak. With this film, we wanted to bring Kew’s vital research to life in a way that felt tangible and within reach.
“We hope it encourages people to rethink what they know about Kew, and appreciate how important their dedication to conservation and preservation will be for a future that needs to be a bit more botanic.”
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