Emmy- and BAFTA-winning U.K. animation studio Blue Zoo (LEGO City, The Adventures of Paddington, The Smeds and the Smoos) has collaborated with GOOD Agency to craft a series of short films for the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) to support engagement with young audiences, under the campaign banner “We Campaign Because They Can’t.” The series recently launched on social channels, having screened in competition at Annecy Festival last month.
The partners point out this collaboration between two B Corp organizations combines Blue Zoo’s expertise in animation and storytelling with GOOD Agency’s innovative approach to creating impactful campaigns for social good.
“Embarking on this project with GOOD Agency was brilliant,” said Damian Hook, Blue Zoo’s Head of Shortform & Advertising. “It’s rare to find another team whose values align so perfectly with ours, especially in the pursuit of crafting powerful messages for the greater good. The collaboration felt natural, culminating in a series of short films that we are immensely proud of.”
The campaign builds on the RSPB’s longstanding aim of being a leading voice in advocacy for nature (e.g., its X account @natures_voice). Each film features an animal attempting to engage in human-like campaigning against the destruction of their natural habitat, but ultimately, unfortunately failing. “We Campaign Because They Can’t” urges the viewer to take a stand against the crisis facing the U.K.’s wildlife and join the RSPB on its mission to save it.
“More than 80 percent of 16- to 24-year olds agree that nature benefits their mental health and wellbeing, but access to nature isn’t equal, with young people facing particular barriers. Content about the nature and climate crises can be daunting, so finding innovative ways to tell stories is crucial. We want to give young people every chance we can for them to take part in campaigning activities, big and small,” RSPB Director of Campaigning & Mobilization Alice Hardman noted.
“Through a blend of organic content such as our TikTok account and targeted campaigns like this, working with our Youth Council, not to mention the free access to our reserves for young people, we’re confident we’re starting to cut through.”
The shorts’ balance of humor and urgency was inspired by insights from IPA showing humor is one of the most effective tools to make advertising stand out, but has been in decline over the last decade.
“When we initially proposed the concept ‘We Campaign Because They Can’t,’ we saw a great opportunity to bring humor into this campaign whilst highlighting a serious issue,” added Bryn Attewell, Executive Creative Director of GOOD Agency. “Showcasing how wildlife needs human intervention was a strong message and one ideal for animation, which is why we felt Blue Zoo was the perfect partner.”
Director Dane Winn adds, “Our goal was to create an emotional connection with the audience; making them laugh, reflect, and act. The charismatic characters we’ve introduced carry the weight of their message with a hopeful note, encouraging viewers to support the RSPB’s mission.”
The CG animation is styled with a tactile, miniature set look inspired by the works of Wes Anderson (the director’s influence extended into the cinematography as well). During the project, the Short Form & Advertising team embraced new techniques to challenge the studio’s existing pipeline and further integrate Blender into their workflow. They utilized Blender’s rigging capabilities with their in-house rigging team for the first time, leveraging its geometry nodes system to create the intricate groom for all characters and environments.
The campaign launched July 11 and will run across Facebook and TikTok, as well as featuring on the RSPB website, rspb.org.uk.
Additional information and updates on the collaboration can be found on Blue Zoo’s site at blue-zoo.co.uk/blog/rspb.
