Ivory Crush
June 19th, 2015, was a significant and historical day in Times Square. We crushed one ton of illegal ivory to protest the harm caused by poachers, who are responsible for the deaths of 96 elephants each day in Africa.
The visual goal for me was to raise awareness about this terrible trade through an eye-catching brand identity to help spread the message both online and at Times Square. My contribution to the event won me WCS’ Hot Shot of the Month award in 2015 and also contributed to the U.S. government’s ban on the ivory trade in the U.S. in 2016.
To make the imagery stand out, we used black and white photos to contrast with the vibrant city. Typography in red was chosen to not only represent our anger over the cruelty but also to represent love and compassion for wildlife.
The event gained a high amount of media attention, becoming top trending news on Facebook, and became a contributor toward President Obama’s ban of the ivory trade in the U.S.
Leader Designer: Megan Mahfoud
Design Assistance: Alina Bachmann
Photographer: Julie Larsen-Maher
Executive Producer: Natalie Cash
Video Producer: Jeff Morey
Employer: Wildlife Conservation Society
Partners: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, IFAW, WWF, NRDC, The Humane Society, African Wildlife Foundation, Department of Environmental Conservation
Celebrity Support: Edie Falco, Kristin Davis
INDUSTRY
Conservation & Education
DELIVERABLES
Logo & Visual Identity System
Print Collateral Design
Digital Campaign Assets
TIMELINE
April-June 2015