Case Study
“Help protect the Aussies down under down under”
CLIENT: Save Our Marine Life
The Save Our Marine Life (SOML) alliance—comprising over 30 Australian and international conservation groups—mounted a sustained campaign throughout the 2010s to secure permanent marine protection for the remote and ecologically critical Heard and McDonald Islands, located in the Southern Ocean southwest of mainland Australia.
These islands are UNESCO World Heritage-listed for their unique geological activity and extraordinary biodiversity, including:
1. Seabird colonies (e.g., albatrosses, petrels)
2. Breeding populations of elephant seals and penguins
3. Rare and endangered species dependent on pristine marine ecosystems
While officially designated as nature reserves, the surrounding waters remained vulnerable to industrial fishing and climate pressures—a gap SOML sought to close.
Campaign Edge developed a campaign for SOML to highlight these issues, with the goal to secure the formal extension of marine sanctuary zones around Heard and McDonald Islands by generating public and political pressure.
We developed a series of ads to highlight the unique nature with press and digital billboards in Canberra Airport and Sky TV by targeting the minister and her colleagues.
30s Positive TVC
Results
Tens of thousands of emails were sent to the Environment Minister, with the campaign resulting in the Government announcing their plan to quadruple the size of the marine reserve around the islands and expand the fully protected zones within the park.
