The objective of the app was two-fold: 1) establish a deeper level of engagement with existing members, and 2) create awareness for a new generation of supporters by developing an experience in which consumers can emotionally connect with WWF’s mission and brand. Without a media budget allocated towards building awareness for the app, we needed to ensure the stories we were telling would reach our audiences. Our approach was to develop the app in a way that maximized peer-to-peer sharing. By completing the individual animal stories, Facebook, Twitter and email sharing is unlocked within the app as animated origami.

Once we paired lush animal portraiture with origami, the concept came together quickly. The animals portrayed in paper helped communicate fragility and the iPad’s tactile nature helped us convey complex data in an entertaining way. It set the balance of lightheartedness, while allowing for a serious undertone. The photography also delivered emotionally, locking squarely into the eyes of the animals.

For the specific interactions, we collected facts we thought were extraordinary or bizarre. We wanted to make information memorable through a playful reveal, while dividing content into a grid allowed for exploration of pockets of information at a time.

WWF Together has experienced 500K+ downloads in 100+ countries, with consumers having spent an equivalent of 12+ years of time within the app. In the iTunes App Store, WWF Together was featured in the top 10 list of ‘Apps that Wow’ and has received an average rating of 4.5 stars.

The app has received praise from publications including The Guardian, Wired, Creativity Online, Fast Company, and Gizmodo. It was also named Mobile of the Month by FWA. Recent awards for WWF Together include Best of Interactive and Best of Show at the American Advertising Awards (ADDYS) in Washington, DC.