Independent London agency Mr. President launched a new campaign for Greenpeace International tackling the issue of “bad tuna” (in cat food with with an online spot featuring Internet cat celebrities like Lill BUB, Captain Pancakes, Nala Cat and Winston Smushface.
The spot addresses fishing practices that violate ecosystems and/or human rights by first introducing the cats, who speak to their love of tuna (via speech bubbles and captions). Then the message “Some companies trash oceans to catch tuna” appears onscreen, followed by “And they exploit humans too.” The cat celebrities are not too pleased by this and the spot goes on to point out that “bad tuna” is bad for the oceans, the people who catch it and other sea animals. It ends by asking viewers to combat unethical fishing by demanding pet food companies “prove they’re not using BAD tuna,” starting with a petition aimed at Mars, which refuses to divulge where the ingredients in its Whiskas brand are sourced. Mr. President is leveraging the Internet celebrity of the friendly felines not just by featuring them in the video, but in promoting the video through their social channels in addition to Greenpeace’s international social channels and the Cats Vs. Bad Tuna website.
“Nowadays we do care about the origins of the food we put on our own plate, but what about the food you buy your cat? We’re using the power of cuteness to encourage online action on this important question,” said Mr. President associate creative director Thea Hamrén. “Being an online cat super-fan it’s a dream come true to work with these amazing cats. I’m excited to continue the work with Greenpeace to reach and engage a younger generation of activists globally.”
“Mars have got to tell their customers where they get their fish from that goes into Whiskas,” added Greenpeace campaigner Kate Simcock. “And if it is caught by an exploited workforce, or in ways that empty our oceans of tuna, sharks, turtles and other animals, they’ve got to clean up their act. We see the online cativists and the Cats vs BadTuna campaign instrumental in helping to spread awareness beyond our existing supporter base.”
Credits:
Greenpeace: Kate Simcock, Dan Salmon, Nick Young
Creative Agency: Mr. President
Associate Creative Director: Thea Hamrén
Connections Planner: Anna-Lucy Terry