In its latest campaign to speak out against shark finning, the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society made a one small change to the MapLink website that had a big impact.
MapLink is one of Brazil's most popular online maps and with this stunt, Sea Shepherd hoped to make more people aware that Brazil is in the top 10 of major illegal exporters of shark fins. Starting on April 22nd, MapLink was drastically altered by changing the color of the water from blue to red. This was a dramatic way to represent the thousands of sharks that are caught, have their fins removed and are then thrown back into the water.
After a small alert that explained why the waters were red, Sea Shepherd directed MapLink users to a petition that could be signed to stress putting an end to shark finning.
Bloodied Online Maps
Sea Shepherd Altered an Online Map to Bring Awareness to Shark Finning
Trend Themes
1. Awareness Campaigns - Using creative stunts to draw attention to environmental issues and increase awareness could be a powerful tool for companies and organizations.
2. Alternative Mapping - Creating alternative maps that highlight environmental issues could be a unique way to engage people and create change.
3. Color Psychology - Using color psychology to elicit emotions and create a dramatic visual impact could be a powerful marketing tactic.
Industry Implications
1. Conservation Organizations - Conservation organizations and nonprofits could use awareness campaigns and alternative mapping to draw attention to environmental issues.
2. Marketing - Marketing professionals could use color psychology to create impactful campaigns for their clients.
3. Navigation Services - Navigation services could potentially create alternative maps to highlight environmental concerns and become more socially responsible.