Sheba - Hope Reef
Sheba, a Mars cat food brand, approached AMV BBDO. The client wanted to address the urgent global coral reef crisis, which threatened marine life and Sheba's ingredient supply. They needed a campaign to authentically demonstrate commitment to marine restoration, raise awareness, and actively restore reefs, aiming for 185,000 sqm by 2029, thereby boosting brand reputation and consumer engagement.
Creative Idea
Sheba built a giant underwater "Hope" word from reef structures to highlight destruction and actively restore coral.
Sheba, a cat food brand, created a massive underwater "Hope" reef installation to draw attention to coral reef destruction and actively restore marine ecosystems. By constructing a 35-meter "Hope" word using Reef Stars structures, Sheba transformed a marketing campaign into a real environmental restoration project that literally spells out hope for coral reefs.
Creative Strategy Deconstructed
Company
As a brand whose core product relies on fish, Sheba has a direct business stake in ocean health and marine biodiversity. Leveraging the scientific expertise of Mars Sustainable Solutions, they possessed the technical capability to engineer large-scale coral restoration using innovative Reef Star structures.
Category
Pet food brands typically focus on domestic pet health or emotional owner-pet bonds, with sustainability efforts limited to packaging or sourcing claims. Most environmental marketing in this space remains abstract or awareness-based rather than involving direct, large-scale physical intervention in the ecosystem.
Customer
Conscious pet owners feel a deep sense of 'eco-anxiety' and are increasingly skeptical of 'greenwashing' or shallow corporate social responsibility. They crave tangible, visible proof that the brands they support are actively solving environmental crises rather than just talking about them.
Culture
In an era defined by global climate collapse and the accessibility of satellite imagery like Google Earth, there is a cultural shift from 'storytelling' to 'storydoing.' People now value brands that create permanent, positive physical changes in the world that are verifiable and transparent.
Company
As a brand whose core product relies on fish, Sheba has a direct business stake in ocean health and marine biodiversity. Leveraging the scientific expertise of Mars Sustainable Solutions, they possessed the technical capability to engineer large-scale coral restoration using innovative Reef Star structures.
Category
Pet food brands typically focus on domestic pet health or emotional owner-pet bonds, with sustainability efforts limited to packaging or sourcing claims. Most environmental marketing in this space remains abstract or awareness-based rather than involving direct, large-scale physical intervention in the ecosystem.
Strategy:
Engineer a living ecosystem to transform the brand from a consumer of fish into a restorer of oceans.
Customer
Conscious pet owners feel a deep sense of 'eco-anxiety' and are increasingly skeptical of 'greenwashing' or shallow corporate social responsibility. They crave tangible, visible proof that the brands they support are actively solving environmental crises rather than just talking about them.
Culture
In an era defined by global climate collapse and the accessibility of satellite imagery like Google Earth, there is a cultural shift from 'storytelling' to 'storydoing.' People now value brands that create permanent, positive physical changes in the world that are verifiable and transparent.
Strategy:
Engineer a living ecosystem to transform the brand from a consumer of fish into a restorer of oceans.
Strategy Technique
Turn Brand Values Into Action
Sheba transformed its sustainability values into tangible action by building the Hope Reef. This real-world restoration project authentically demonstrates commitment, moving beyond mere statements to active proof.
Explore Technique
Creative Technique
Take a Real Stand
Sheba actively built a 35-meter "Hope" reef, demonstrating real commitment to coral restoration. This tangible action goes beyond mere statements, proving their dedication to a vital environmental cause.
Explore Technique
