Most endangered species aren’t very compelling. Like the freshwater oyster mussel. Or the Wyoming toad. Or Myricolea irrorata, a “large, tropical liverwort.” So how do activists get people to care?
When it comes to fundraising marketing, conservation groups get donations by ignoring the boring species and focusing their campaigns on charismatic megafauna – like tigers, polar bears, and blue whales.
As Wikipedia notes, charismatic megafauna are “large animal species with widespread popular appeal that environmental activists use to achieve conservation goals well beyond just those species.”
This would explain why the WWF logo is a stylized giant panda–as opposed to, say, a caricature of the crocyniaceae lichenized fungus. But the concept of using cartoon characters to spur action isn’t unique to conservation non-profits and their flagship species.
Plenty of companies and NGOs have used avatars to personify their topics: Think about Smokey the Bear. Eddie Eagle. Joe Camel. The GEICO Gecko. What are some of your favorite corporate icons?
Photo credit: Jeff Kubina on Flickr, via Creative Commons
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