CHALLENGE

Building on almost 20 years of partnership, McDonald's and Conservation International wanted to reach out to a new generation in encouraging the protection of animals at risk. The means of distributing the message would be McDonald's legendary kids meal. The creative was up to us.

STRATEGY

From far before the dawn of the internet, one thing remains true: the key to reaching kids is to mix facts with fun, and appeal to a child's sense of exploration. We set out to build a site that would give kids the feeling of exploring the very habitats of endangered animals, learning why it's important to become aware, and what they can do to help protect them. The retail portion of the project would include toys that would allow kids to connect with the animals in question.

CREATIVE AND EXECUTION

The in-store element of the Endangered Animals Happy Meal consisted of four plush toys, representing four of the world's eight most threatened species: the giant panda, the leatherback turtle, the snow leopard, and the Asian elephant. Visiting FragilePlanet.eu, kids are presented with their very own passport--their ticket to a world of exploration surrounding these animals, as well as an additional four: the black rhino, the polar bear, the Siberian tiger, and the Gorilla.

The passport contains a section for each animal, which, in turn, contains a series of tasks that the visitor must complete in order to stamp those pages. Children use their mouse to spin a globe that will lead them to the habitats these animals call home. From watching videos of the animals, to playing online games, to reading fact lists that promote awareness, kids will participate in a series of fun activities that leave them more aware of the plight of our planet's threatened species. The site comes to life with an original soundtrack composed by Fuel Sounds, and was launched across Europe.

Addressing the threats that face our planet's wildlife means reaching out to new generations. With this inititative, McDonald's and Conservation International have made a valuable step toward informing children across the world about the dangers that face our Earth' wildlife.