We translated an endangered language to help save an endangered species. And gave every single person the ability to speak elephant.

Hello in Elephant is an interactive web experience powered by artificial intelligence and voice recognition technology. The Hello in Elephant site is a world-first human-elephant translator – part utility, part sharing generator, part donation mechanism.

The site gave people a way to translate text, emoji, and their voice, into how an elephant would communicate that emotion, expression, or short phrase. The translation was served up via an animated video with a real elephant call which could be shared via social media and messaging so elephant could become part of people’s conversations. The sharing, donation mechanism, and DSWT elephant orphan adoption were embedded naturally into the experience to ensure action followed engagement.

We launched on World Elephant Day. It’s a noisy time to be talking about elephants, but it was the perfect moment to shift the conversation and raise awareness about the unfamiliar elephant conservation issue.

An online film, entitled Hello in Elephant, introduced the idea, demonstrated the humanity of elephants through their language, and pushed people to the campaign site. The website gave people the opportunity to translate their message and speak in elephant, donate and adopt an elephant via sheldrickwildlifetrust.org, and learn about the causes of elephant population decline. Over the course of the month further assets - videos, imagery, gifs, sounds - were pushed out across DSWT’s social channels.

The idea took the story out of the traditional environment friendly places into internet culture. Social media impressions were 170 million; social views of the campaign were more than nine million.

In just one month, with no paid/donated media, the campaign generated 400 million impressions across 53 countries, worth $6.53 million in earned media. And it wasn’t just covered, it was revered: “Incredible new tool translates human phrases into elephant calls.” via Mail Online; "The translator is a delightful site.” via Cnet.

The idea was so powerful that 20 of the world's leading conservation organisations - including the UN, United for Wildlife, and Born Free - got involved, shared the idea and message, and helped change the conversation beyond poaching.

Donations increased by 34%. Not only did we stop the dramatic slide but the growth represents a 234% uplift above the target.

Adoptions increased by 35%.

Hello in Elephant created an uplift in new supporters that are a critical to DSWT’s future. They’re not only new advocates for the charity and the cause but also a steady income stream.

Let people experience the hidden humanity of elephants to create empathy and reignite urgency to save them from extinction.

It was not enough to give people the sounds with an explanation of their meaning. We needed to involve them in the idea, give them a way to speak elephant, and for elephant to become part of their communication.

The site gave people a way to translate text, emoji, and their voice, into how an elephant would communicate that emotion, expression, or short phrase. The translation was served up via an animated video with a real elephant call which could be shared via social media and messaging so elephant could become part of people’s conversations. The sharing, donation mechanism, and DSWT elephant orphan adoption were embedded naturally into the experience to ensure action followed engagement.

For decades, conservationists have rallied against poachers in order to save elephants from extinction. The well-publicised decline of the ivory trade has left the public with the impression that the problem was being solved and elephants are being saved. This false sense of success has slowed the need to care.

Our brief was to re-energise the fight against elephant extinction when everyone thinks the fight has been won.

Specific objectives:

- Ignite a new mass conversation – shift awareness about the plight of elephants beyond poaching.

- Increase donations by 10% - reverse the 17% slide of revenue so DSWT can fund its effort to save, raise, and release elephants back into the wild through its conservation efforts.

- Increase elephant adoptions by 10%. These relationships were incredibly hard to secure but extremely valuable – they gave money for multiple years and spread word about the cause.