Simplifying the complex
Client: EDF+Business, EDF Ecosystems
Environmental Defense Fund is tackling serious environmental challenges with truly effective – but also complex – solutions. A critical ingredient to the effectiveness of their work is collaboration, with businesses, with government entities, even with farmers. To get these potential partners on board, EDF has to communicate the why, what and how (full of math, science and logistics) in a way they can embrace – not tune out. That’s where we came in.
We created communication tools that allow EDF to talk about three of their solutions: 1) the EDF+Business supply chain model, 2) the jurisdictional approach to reducing deforestation, and 3) the Habitat Quantification Tool. In our work for each of these, we sought to creatively balance education and inspiration, scientific rigor and emotional connection.
Client Challenge
Translate complex strategies into clear, powerful narratives that business and government decision-makers will easily understand – and that will inspire them to take action.
Shelton Solution
We knew we would need to engage hearts as well as minds. So our first step was to boil down each EDF solution to a single narrative element – an easy-to-understand metaphor or a hero to sympathize with, for example. By using that narrative element, we wrote videos that would pull viewers in with emotionally compelling stories – stories they could wrap their heads around and identify with. We captured the “why” behind EDF’s approach while emphasizing the benefits to all parties involved – companies, governments, ranchers and animals.
The simple yet sophisticated look and feel for each video was designed to imbue viewers with confidence in EDF’s expertise and open them up to the complex idea. The end result: engaging stories that help audiences understand the genius of EDF’s strategies … and inspire them to work toward real change.
For each of the three EDF solutions, the videos served as the centerpiece of a suite of tools we developed, including Web pages, infographics, brochures and presentations.
The world needs a lever
EDF connects the dots
We made the hawk the hero
