Using Animation to Inspire Butterfly Conservation

The Challenge

Innocent have always been about more than great tasting, healthy drinks. They are big fans of the planet and put real energy into doing the right thing. Their brand ethos, “Little Drinks, Big Dreams”, came to life again with their “Become a Butterfly Saviour” (“Werde Retterling vom Schmetterling”) project in the DACH region.

For every limited edition bottle sold in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, Innocent would donate 20 cents to help reverse the decline of butterflies across Europe – a population that has dropped by almost 50 percent in the last 30 years. They needed a multi platform social campaign that could quickly explain the issue, show how the donation works, and inspire people to get involved.

Working closely with Innocent copywriters and designers, we developed a 60 second hero animation to deliver the key story: why butterflies matter, what has changed over time, and how buying a bottle could help. We then created two additional 30 second cutdowns – one focused purely on the “why”, and one on the practical “how” – so the campaign could be tailored to different channels and placements.

The narrative tapped into a shared point of nostalgia: the 90s. The films contrasted how much our lives have changed since then – from technology and communication to our relationship with nature – and highlighted that butterfly numbers have quietly fallen over the same period. This gave the campaign an emotional hook as well as a clear call to action.