Amarula Cream Liqueur has launched its ‘Name Them, Save Them’ campaign in an effort to give a name to every surviving African elephant in the wild.

‘Name Them, Save Them’ started in October 2016 when Amarula launched the campaign with a web-episode shot in Kenya’s Amboseli National Park, which directs viewers to a virtual digital Savannah. 

This allowed an international audience to visit the digital African Savannah where they could design and name a virtual African elephant. Participants could then share their named elephant with friends and family as a means of raising awareness.

The latest wildlife census information puts the number of African elephants living in the wild at around 400 000, a decline from just a decade ago. In April, Amarula will move on to the next phase of its ‘Name Them, Save Them’ campaign. 

In phase two, the digitalise pachyderms, created by the Amarula’s online audience are brought to life by putting a named elephant and information regarding the animal on the labels of 400 000 individualised Amarula bottles - one bottle for each of the earth’s remaining African elephants. 

In keeping with Amarula’s approach to marketing and new print technology, Mosaic Technology was used to customise each bottle. 400 000 labels were crafted, using an algorithm which randomly generates images, ensuring that each label is 100% unique. Amarula is the first alcohol brand utilising this Mosaic Technology, launching it to the general trade around the world. 

Amarula global general manager, Dino D’Araujo, says, “The future of the African elephant is at a tipping point. Recent data shows that each day – not each month or even each week –around 96 African elephants are killed by poachers for their ivory. The species simply cannot sustain a slaughter on this scale and survive. This fuelled Amarula to intensify its efforts by joining forces with WildlifeDirect, working closely with respected conservationist Dr Paula Kahumbu to save our elephants.” 

Amarula intends to maintain the digital African Savannah and its visuals in the future. Amarula will donate $1 to WildlifeDirect for every digital elephant created on the site. 

D’Araujo adds, “We have always had a special bond with these magnificent creatures, as the Amarula tree and its fruit contribute enormously to the well-being of the elephant and the very existence of Amarula. We had to come up with something that would personalise the plight of the African elephant in a way that would resonate with the international community, and rally it to the cause. We think ‘Name Them, Save Them’ is the perfect vehicle for this outreach.”

It was the killing of another animal that served as the inspiration for Amarula’s ‘Name Them, Save Them’ programme. In 2015, a hunter in Zimbabwe killed a male African lion that had been given the name Cecil. 

By having named the lion, wildlife conservationists had created a persona for the animal allowing the general public to identify with it, and relate to its well-being. 

The Amarula bottles carrying the name and information on the digitalised elephants will be available from April onwards, in Global Travel Retail, as well as South Africa, Germany, Brazil, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States. 

You can view the campaign video here. 

For more information, visit www.amarula.com. Alternatively, connect with them on Facebook or on Twitter.