ABOUT

There has never been a greater expectation for sustainability and transparency, as brands and retailers around the globe are being held accountable for every step of their supply chain. While U.S. cotton is widely recognized for its quality, growers have never had the data to support their sustainability credentials. The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol sets a new standard in more sustainably grown cotton – underpinning and verifying sustainability through robust data capture and independent verification.

In order to create awareness, educate audiences and drive enrollment, we designed a series of animations that highlight the benefits of membership, as well as the sustainability improvements on grower members’ farms. These animations were designed to be attention-grabbing short versions of complex stories. We then built on those topics with long form advertorials and podcasts to add another layer. Cotton growers and manufacturers typically see communications with simple, overused farmland photography. We saw opportunity to develop a fresh, unique, visually-rich approach that captures and holds attention with an intentionally distinct female voiceover throughout the series. Using fabric textures, paper cut-out shapes and natural, organic materials —along with collage-style “stop-motion” animation technique— we’re able to tell stories about sustainability while conveying the naturalness of cotton itself. The color palette was carefully selected to feature bright earth tones. An animated dashed line is used as a “thread” device to propel each story forward and highlight important scenes. All of these devices work together allowing the animations to explain the benefits of the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol in a simple, informative and entertaining way.

Due to overwhelming success and driving over 300 brand, retailer, mill and manufacturer members and the enrolment of 1.5 million bales, we’re expanding the series this year with seven new films.

51k social media impressions | 1.7k social media engagements | 8k reach over Instagram and Facebook | 6.5k aggregate views