Help save the rhino: EXTINCTION IS FOREVER. STOP THE DEMAND!

A priceless commodity.

Rhino horn is now more valuable that gold, platinum, even cocaine. In spite of military-style protection and incredible conservation efforts, poachers are killing rhinos in record numbers….. fueled by the insatiable demand for rhino horn.

It has become such a lucrative business that global terrorist organizations are now in on the action. Rhino horn funds terrorism. There is a massive human toll, both globally and on a local level, when militia with AK-47’s move into African villages. 

Show-offs.

The slaughter is no longer driven by traditional medicinal beliefs, but by Vietnam’s newly wealthy elite in search of the ultimate status symbol. Being able to afford, use, and gift rhino horn is seen as proof of wealth. These consumers are desperate for the perceived social status they achieve from gaining entry into this exclusive circle.

As the price of rhino horn soars, so does demand. It is increasingly seen as an investment opportunity- destined to sky rocket in value should the wild rhino go extinct. In fact, those in possession of rhino horn only see a benefit in the product becoming more rare and priceless.

A solution.

Breaking the Brand has the high-end consumer in Vietnam squarely in their sights, targeting them with the most effective weapon- advertising. Research shows that this consumer is not responsive to the plight of the rhino, its certain extinction should demand continue, or the animals’ suffering at the hands of poachers. Nor are they concerned with the murder of rangers attempting to protect these animals in their habitat. 

Armed with Breaking the Brand’s consumer research and behavioral economics, the award-winning creative team of Three Wise Men (http://www.three-wise-men.com.au/who-we-are/) has again donated its expertise, helping to produce a hard-hitting campaign aimed at tapping into the social status anxiety prevelant in this culture. This campaign aims to make rhino horn consumption unfashionable by re-branding it as a criminal activity.

Get us rolling.

You can help save the rhino by supporting this campaign. Placement in high-end consumer magazines, inflight magazines and high-traffic public areas. Breaking the Brand has already raised two thirds of this goal out of Europe, Africa, Australia and Asia. This fundraiser will put them over the top and unleash this campaign to do its important work. 100% of every dollar you contribute will go directly toward funding this media buy.

Please donate to help us stop the killing, disrupt demand and help save the rhino from extinction.

Who they are.

Breaking the Brand (http://breakingthebrand.org) is a non-profit organization founded by Lynn Johnson, out of Australia, and has received press and recognition for its well designed and targeted approach.

Breaking the Brand believes the current poaching crisis must be fought from all sides. While conservation groups work to fiercely defend the animals on the ground, demand for the product must be erradicated. The current primary consumer is the successful Vietnamese businessman obsessed with status and display of wealth. In researching ways to effect behavior change, Breaking the Brand’s interviews with this user confirm that “status anxiety” would be most effective in immediately curbing the Vietnamese appetite for horn; if using horn would diminish user’s status in the eyes of their peers.

Working within the framework of this culture, the professionally developed ads aim to rebrand horn use by triggering status anxiety in the user as they are seen for the wildlife criminals they are. The current campaign “What does a wildlife criminal look like?” aims to deliver the message in a currency that the user relates to and tap into this fear.

Their past campaigns have focused on instilling “health anxiety” regarding the safety of horn by letting consumers know that many horns are being poisoned to render them useless, as well as associating consumption with guilt, by showing the human toll on the families of murdered anti-poaching rangers, as more wives become widows and children lose their fathers.

Breaking the Brand is an entirely volunteer-run organization and everyone covers their own expenses. Therefore 100% of every dollar raised will go directly toward costs of publishing.

Inspite of incredible conservation efforts, a rhino is now killed every 8 hours in South Africa alone. This is not sustainable and barring a radical reversal of this trend, the few remaining species will go extinct very soon.

Please help us save these animals from extinction by supporting this effort on the demand side. Donate to help us Break the Brand and change the image of rhino horn as a desirable high-end consumable.

www.breakingthebrand.org

or to see the campaigns http://breakingthebrand.org/campaigns/