Since Japan is far behind in concern toward wildlife preservation and donations (donating only 1/108 of western nations per household), the target was Japanese people in general. In Japan, the Hanko or stamp has been used as the symbol of identity or intention from olden times. And even today, they are used daily in place of signatures as an established part of the culture. This was an idea where the Hanko was used as a motif for people to be able to participate in preservation activities and donations for endangered species (REDLIST animals) in their daily lives.

A campaign was conducted where people could automatically create their original stamps with silhouettes of REDLIST or endangered animals by entering their surnames on the special site. For promotional purposes, a graphic idea was also created. Numerous WITH STAMPs were stamped on posters, forming images of endangered animals such as the polar bear, giraffe, leopard, penguin, and rhinoceros. This was to demonstrate that even small stamps can come together to form a significant movement.

Success came from the fact that people became aware of animal protection through something they use every day; their name stamps. What was a symbol of identity, became a symbol for donations and changed the perceptions of the Japanese. In just 2 days, donations reached 1.5 million JPY. And 3 weeks after the start, over 8.3 million people had participated, and 11 thousand stamps had been delivered.

From the media point of view, a unique medium with only 9 mm in diameter, grew into media that generated a large movement, through usage and shares by the participants.

From the PR viewpoint, with zero advertising budget, the ad equivalent of exposure totalled over 70 million JPY, and donations amounted to 6.6 million JPY. And the biggest value, is that the endangered animals have been added into the Japanese people’s wish for longevity.

Compared to other industrialized nations, the Japanese seem to have less concern for protection of wild life, and less awareness for giving donations. The amount given by donation per household is only 1/108 of western countries. So WWF Japan was looking for a new way to encourage the Japanese to participate in the protection of endangered species (Red List Animals) more easily, with touchpoints with these animals in their daily lives.