Client: African Conservation Foundation / ZED Creative
Production: ZED Creative
Project: Animated Infographic
Created with: After Effects, Illustrator, Photoshop
An animated video about the rhino poaching crisis across Africa and Asia. The use of rhino horn as a recreational drug or cancer treatment in Asia is based on myths, but has escalated exponentially over the last few years. As a result, rhinos in Africa and Asia are brutally slaughtered in huge numbers for their horns. With prices able to fetch more than cocaine or gold, the trade is attracting the attention of organised crime and terrorist organisations. So whether you have a passion for rhinos or not, the trade could potentially still have an impact on all of our lives.
The trade in rhino horn only exists because there is a demand (which was created by unscrupulous ‘middle men’ looking for a way to exploit the vulnerable). End the demand and the killing will stop.
We felt so strongly about this issue, that we wanted to do something to try to help. Working in collaboration with African Conservation Foundation, we came up with a theme that had not been touched upon to any great extent previously. There was also a certain amount of psychology used too. Simply attacking the end user’s beliefs would not be effective as humans tend to dig their heels in when their beliefs are brought into question, so we needed to shift the emphasis from the end users and on to the traffickers – portraying them as scheming villains who have no regard for the welfare of animals or humans alike. The idea is to try to make the end user question their use of rhino horn and make them realise that they have been sold a myth, with no scientific basis, in order to fuel the trafficker’s greed. Marketing at its very worst.
The video was launch to coincide with “World Rhino Day 2012”.