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Background
Australian-made Personal and Home Care brand al.ive body were seeking a partner to extend their commitment to sustainability beyond simply creating environmentally conscious products and exploring a way to lead through action as part of a campaign for World Earth Day 2022.
The company were acutely aware of the challenge of delivering an initiative that would gain cut through at a crowded time for environmental campaigns, whilst also wanting to ensure any efforts wouldn’t seem tokenistic or tacky, as well as avoiding anything too simplistic or lacking scientific rigour.
Through early discussions with the al.ive body team it was clear they understood the complexities of conservation and were looking for a solution that went beyond their existing tree planting partnerships and the holistic nature of the Wilderlands approach aligned to their impact aspirations.
The precise nature of Wilderlands one square metre Biological Diversity Units and ability to attach (secure) these units to individual products or purchases was a perfect match for an e-commerce brand that has a loyal fanbase base of over 90,000 newsletter subscribers and 100,000+ instagram followers, the majority of whom are customers drawn to the brands ethos of ‘inspired by design, influenced by nature.’
The promise of permanent protection and leaving a lasting impact also resonated with the team for whom a sense of legacy is a key driver, particularly when considering any partnership which would need an ability to grow with the brand in the years to come.
The Campaign
To celebrate World Environment Day, al.ive body partnered with Wilderlands to protect 4,350㎡ of vulnerable habitat in our Alleena project whilst also gifting one Biological Diversity Unit (equivalent of 1sqm of protection) to every customer who purchased a product from their online retail store on the day.
The collaboration enabled al.ive body to obtain some of the world’s first voluntary biodiversity units which promise permanent protection and active management of high-ecological-value projects across Australia, whilst delivering a concept that engaged their community in a way that enabled collective impact through their actions.
The partnership was announced on the al.ive body’s instagram with Founders, Alisa & Lysandra Fraser speaking to the company’s commitment to preserving natural habitats and recognising that biodiversity is a crucial step towards protecting our planet.
A homepage takeover saw the campaign presented front-and-centre in the leadup to World Earth Day, supported by a dedicated impact page on the al.ive body website detailing the driver for the partnership and exploring the passion for protecting Australia’s biodiversity; given the brands connection to the country.
Wilderlands provided access to bespoke content and imagery which was shared across instagram stories, connecting al.ive body’s audiences to the conservation efforts being supported and creating a distinctive campaign to stand out amongst the many other environmental initiatives that can crowd a major day like Earth Day.
Finally, a newsletter was sent to the al.ive audience directing them to various parts of the campaign including the impact page developed specifically for the Wilderlands website that showcased the projects being supported through the campaign and providing a glimpse into what customers would unlock through their own profile.
The Results
The campaign saw al.ive body protect a total of 4650sqm at Alleena, including over 300 sqm protected by customers who redeemed their gifts provided by the company as a thankyou for purchasing products on World Earth Day.
Many of the customers who unlocked their profiles and received their one square metre Biological Diversity Units took to social media to voice their support for the initiative and praise the founders for committing to a cause that was having such real-world impact in their own backyard.
When asked to reflect on the campaign, the al.ive founders said “the environment plays such an important part in everything we do so partnering with an organisation like Wilderlands to protect our precious biodiversity just makes sense and we were thrilled with the outcome of the campaign,” said Alisa Fraser.
In the months that followed Wilderlands provided al.ive body with regular updates for the community to build on the partnership and has since expanded the number of projects being supported with new campaigns, and even a collaborative product, being developed between the two organisations in 2024.
About Alleena
The Alleena Project, situated at the core of the NSW Riverina, lies 20km southwest of West Wyalong.
Covering 497 hectares, this protected area has been under the ownership and management of Cassinia Environmental since 2020, operating as a dedicated conservation reserve.
The property has permanent protection through a covenant with the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Trust (BCT). Complementing the substantial revegetation efforts spanning 444 hectares on the property, as well as the neighbouring State Forest and the nearby Buddigower Conservation Reserve, the Alleena Project contributes significantly to conservation at the landscape scale.
As well as protecting these species, the project is addressing the decline of the suite of birds dependent on intact woodland ecosystems for foraging and nesting. These once common woodland birds, such as the Dusky Woodswallow Artamus cyanopterus cyanopterus, are now found almost exclusively in small, scattered remnants of habitat on private land, within State Forests or Nature Reserves.
Typical of many such farms within the region, the property was historically utilized for cropping and sheep grazing. The restoration of previously cleared land commenced in 2013 with the direct seeding of almost 850ha with local tree and shrub species.
Although Dusky Woodswallow and other threatened species also utilise whatever little habitat remains on private or public land, such remnants are unprotected and subject to further clearing and degradation. Consequently, conservation management strategies designed to halt the decline of woodland birds towards extinction include actions such as conserving remnant habitat on private land (preferably through in-perpetuity covenants), restoring degraded sites, preserving or establishing connectivity across the landscape, and expanding habitat through revegetation activities.
