OBJECTIVE

Ecuador is a small but biodiverse nation. However, commercial exploitation was rapidly destroying its natural heritage.

In 2008, a new constitution gave Nature the same rights as humans under primary law – e.g. if waste was dumped into a river, that river would have the same rights as a human to defend itself.

Unfortunately, the new constitution was largely ignored, and the devastation continued.

THE TASK, REDEFINED

Our first insight was that classic activism would not solve this.

We understood that bad guys aren’t afraid of laws – they are afraid of lawyers, who are the “teeth of the laws”, able to bite the bad guys.

BREAKTHROUGH ROLE OF CAMPAIGN: ‘What if we use communications to persuade lawyers to do it for free?

THE IDEA

#NatureRepresented

A direct response, B2B recruitment campaign: video, website, supported by PR, social media, directly targeting lawyers, via the Bar Association.

We asked lawyers to be Ecuadorian Nature’s Representatives. Appealing for lawyers to ‘adopt’ and protect specific Ecuadorian forests, rivers, mountains and species. By donating hours of their time for free.

Based on 3 motivating insights, learned in a test campaign:

1. Ecuador’s lawyers have an image problem.

The work allowed to be seen as fearless, selfless heroes of the nation and its natural heritage,

2. Lawyers motivated to ‘own’ or ‘adopt’ parts of nature they liked best.

leveraging or creating personal emotional connections to places, species etc.

3. Lawyers crave professional respect.

The work ran with the support and authority of the Bar Association.

THE EFFECT

With no cost to Sambito, and all work done pro bono, the campaign brought in legal services worth over $202 million.

o recruited 5,536 lawyers - over 70% of all Ecuadorian lawyers. Each committed at least 200 hours pro bono.

o International reach – 36 international lawyers based in the US committed hours for free.

o As a direct result, 533 individual species, rivers, mountains and forests in Ecuador now have lawyers prepared to fight for their survival.

2 key test cases won – white tailed deer hunting, arresting hunters and setting a new precedent; and group case against 200 companies polluting the Salado Estuary, sanctioned for 4 years

Broader effects:

• Deterrence: “Our [multinational] clients see this as a threat” Peres and Bustamente law partner

o Increased reporting and activism amongst local officials and members of the public, e.g. protection of Guayaquil river; closing down a hotel dumping waste.

o A new environmental protection model: #NatureRepresented shared at UN; uptake by further countries/ areas (e.g. Colombian Amazonia)

OTHER FACTORS

No other campaigns were recruiting lawyers.

No general rise in appeals to act for the environment that could have driven lawyers to act in this way.