Will Wells' TIE Case Study - Wieden+Kennedy London and the MAR Fund

WILL WELLS

AND THE INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE TO GUATEMALA

HOLA. YO SOY WILL WELLS

I THOUGHT I’D ACHIEVED IT ALL

A JOB 3 FIGURE SALARY SOME OTHER STUFF

BUT THERE WAS A BIT OF ME THAT WANTED MORE THAN EVEN ALL OF THAT

THERE WAS A HERO INSIDE ME

IN COUNTRY

SEE, A LONG LONG TIME AGO I WENT TO UNIVERSITY TO STUDY MARINE BIOLOGY BUT I NEVER REALLY GOT A CHANCE TO DO ANYTHING WITH ALL THAT KNOWLEDGE.

BUT TIE GAVE ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO USE ADVERTISING TO HELP SAVE THE OCEAN

THAT’S FUSION

AT THE BEGINNING OF 2017 I SET OUT TO RAISE A GRAND ($$$) AND LEARN SPANISH

NEITHER WAS EASY. BOTH CAUSED ME MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF STRESS.

DURING TESTING TIMES MANY PEOPLE DISCOVER CAPABILITIES THEY NEVER KNEW THEY HAD...

IN COUNTRY ...I GOT SHINGLES

[AND WAS SUBSEQUENTLY QUARANTINED IN MOORFIELDS EYE HOSPITAL]

FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT DON’T KNOW, SHINGLES IS HERPES WITHOUT THE SEX

A CLASSIC LOSE - LOSE SITUATION

AND I GOT IT IN COUNTRY IN THE FACE

THE LAST THING YOU WANNA DO IS GET IN THE OCEAN WITH SHINGLES

I WON’T LIE. IT WAS PRETTY INCONVENIENT. BUT I BEAT THE SHINGLES. GOT A SPANISH CD. AND SET TO RAISING THE TIE CASH. PEOPLE HAVE RAISED MASSIVE SUMS FOR THEIR TIE CHARITIES IN THE PAST...PEOPLE FROM MY AGENCY HAVE. IT’S INCREDIBLY DAUNTING A TASK. I TRIED TO RAISE THE CASH BY SELLING EROTIC CALENDARS OF MY CREATIVE PARTNER. WHEN THEY DIDN’T TAKE OFF I GOT LOADS OF EAST LONDON ARTISTS/GALLERIES/BUSINESSES TO DONATE THEIR ART - WHICH I THEN AUCTIONED OFF ON INSTAGRAM. WHATEVER YOU DO, START DOING IT EARLY. I HADN’T BANKED MY MONEY UNTIL WELL INTO THE TRIP. NOT THE ONE.

*BUT IF I’VE GOT ONE BIT OF ADVICE FOR ANYONE DOING TIE...DON’T GET SHINGLES, IT’S PROPER SHIT.

EL BRIEFO

IN COUNTRY

LEARN SPANISH

SAVE OCEAN

THAT’S IT. JUST 2 THINGS IN 6 WEEKS. EASY PEASY.

FIRST STOP =GUATEMALA

PEOPLE SAID IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO LEARN A LANGUAGE IN 2 WEEKS BUT A FORTNIGHT AHEAD OF MY TIE PLACEMENT I BOOKED INTO A CRASH COURSE

IN COUNTRY

TURNS OUT IT’S IMPOSSIBLE TO LEARN A LANGUAGE IN 2 WEEKS

BUT I DID GET

IN COUNTRY A CERTIFICATE

SHE GIVES A CERTIFICATE

TO EVERYONE

BUT THIS WAS

HER FIRST HANDSHAKE

I WENT STRAIGHT FROM ESCUELA DE ESPANOL TO GUATEMALA CITY

CARIBBEAN SEA

FURTHER FROM THE WATER THAN I’D PLANNED

BUT JOINED UP WITH THE CHARITY TIE HAD ARRANGED FOR ME TO WORK AT

THE MESO-AMERICAN REEF FUND

THIS IS WHAT THEY DO IN THEIR OWN WORDS

AND IN MY WORDS

THE MAR FUND SECURE LARGE AMOUNTS OF MONEY AND DISTRIBUTE IT TO SMALLER PROJECTS IN 14 PROTECTED ZONES AROUND THE MESOAMERICAN REEF. THESE PROJECTS HELP THE COMMUNITIES AND ECOLOGY OF THE REEF ITSELF WITH THE ULTIMATE AIM OF PRESERVING THE REEF FOR GENERATIONS TO COME. THEIR GOAL IS TO PROTECT AREAS THROUGHOUT THE MAR TO CREATE A PROTECTED BAND OF AREAS THAT SPAN THE WHOLE REEF.

OVERFISHING

ILLEGAL FISHING

THESE PROJECTS HELP KEY ISSUES FACING THE REGION INVASIVE SPECIES

ALTERNATIVE WAYS COMMUNITIES PUT FOOD ON THE TABLE

THE MESO-AMERICAN REEF

AND THIS IS THE REGION EVERYONE WHO WORKS THERE IS SO PASSIONATE ABOUT SAVING...

BUENO, NO?

I WAS READY TO GET MY HANDS WET BUT THAT WASN’T THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY FOR ME TO HELP. INSTEAD, I WAS THERE TO HELP THE CHARITY USING...ADVERTISING

AND THEN KO’D THEM WITH FLOW DIAGRAMS

IT’S NOT SOMETHING I NORMALLY DO, BUT I HAD TO ADAPT AND BUILD MAR FUND A ROLLING STRATEGY PLAN TO SPREAD ALL THE GOOD WORK THAT THEY DO

AND THEIR WEBSITE NEEDED SOME TOUGH LOVE

ON TOP OF ALL THAT THEY ALSO AND THEN KO’D THEM WITH FLOW DIAGRAMS WANTED SOME GROUND BREAKING COMMS IDEAS THAT REQUIRED VERY LITTLE EFFORT BUT HAD MAXIMUM IMPACT TO GET MORE FUNDING FROM DONORS

BUT TO FIND OUT IF THESE IDEAS WOULD WORK, FIRST I NEEDED TO GO OUT INTO THE FIELD

WHICH IS WHAT THEY CALL THE OCEAN

CONFUSING, RIGHT?

I JUMPED ON A LITTLE PLANE TO HONDURAS

WHEN I GOT THERE I SAW LOADS OF ‘COMMUNICATION’ OPPORTUNITIES

OPPORTUNITY

THE MAR FUND GIVE MONEY TO CENTRES LIKE THE ROATAN MARINE PARK TO ACTION PROJECTS TO SAFEGUARD BITS OF THE REEF

AND THEY USE THE CASH TO DO THINGS LIKE GIVING FISH POACHERS ALTERNATIVE WAYS TO MAKE A LIVING

EX-POACHER

HE’S NOW REARING BEES FOR HONEY INSTEAD OF ILLEGAL FISHING

THEY’RE TACKLING A LIONFISH INVASION

BY CREATING A LIONFISH COOKBOOK TO PUT THIS PEST SPECIES ON THE DINNER TABLE

AND THIS ‘REAL MEN USE THEIR HANDS SAY NO TO SPEARFISHING’

MAR FUND DOESN’T HAVE A FULL TIME COMMUNICATIONS PERSON, SO MOST OF THE GROUND BREAKING IDEAS I’D COME UP WITH REQUIRED THE PROJECT OFFICES TO EACH TAKE ON SOME COMMS AND WORK TOGETHER, FILLING THE VOID OF THAT COMMS EMPLOYEE. I PRESENTED MY STRATEGY DECK OVER AND OVER AND OVER, TO PEOPLE IN EACH OF THE REGIONS TO FIND OUT IF THIS AD GUY FROM LONDON (ME) WAS MORE OF A HELP OR A HINDERANCE TO THE DAY TO DAY CONSERVATION AND COMMUNITY WORK THEY ACTUALLY NEED TO DO

AND THEN I WENT TO BELIZE AND ASKED THE PEOPLE WORKING IN THE PROTECTED REGIONS THE SAME THING: HOW COMMUNICATIONS COULD HELP THEM AND...HOW IT WOULDN’T

BELIZE

ME DIVING IN BELIZE

WAS LIKE BEING IN A WASHING MACHINE

GOING OUT INTO THE FIELD OPENED MY EYES

I WAS COMING UP WITH THESE COMMS IDEAS IN SOME OFFICE IN LA CIUDAD BUT 90% OF THEM COULDN’T BE ACTIONED IN THE FIELD

FOR EXAMPLE: LIVE STREAMING THE RELEASE OF A TURTLE INTO THE WILD IS GREAT PR, RIGHT?

MAYBE. BUT IT ISN’T SO GREAT FOR THE TURTLE. LOADS OF PEOPLE ON THE ISLAND STILL LIKE TO EAT TURTLE, YOU’VE JUST GIVEN AWAY IT’S POSITION.

NOT GOOD

SENDING SOME HANDSOME IDIOT TO FILM A COASTAL RANGER PATROL TO CATCH SOME POACHERS IS A GOOD BIT OF PR, RIGHT?

YEAH MAYBE. BUT MOST PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY THINK IT’S THEIR RIGHT TO TAKE WHATEVER THEY WANT FROM THE SEA AND RANGERS SUFFER REPRISALS FOR MAKING ARRESTS. THEY DON’T WANNA BE ON CAMERA ARRESTING FAMILY MEMBERS.

SERIOUSLY NOT GOOD

IT GAVE ME A LOT TO THINK ABOUT. SOME OF THE IDEAS IN THE STRATEGY DECK NEEDED TO BE SCRAPPED FOR THE REASONS ABOVE. THE REST REQUIRED TOO MUCH TIME FROM THE PEOPLE WORKING IN THE PROJECTS. TIME THEY DIDN’T HAVE…………………………………………………

I WANTED TO LEAVE THE MAR FUND HAVING ACTUALLY ACHIEVED SOMETHING. SO THE FIRST THING I SET TO WAS REDESIGNING THEIR WEBSITE. THAT’S NOW LIVE.

THIS

TO THIS

THEN I CREATED A NEW STRATEGY DECK. THE FIRST THING ON IT WAS TO HIRE A COMMS INTERN. THEY’VE GOT ONE NOW.

THEN I STARTED ON SOMETHING A BIT MORE AMBITIOUS...

FROM VISITING THE FIELD I FIGURED THIS CONSERVATION NONSENSE WAS ALL ABOUT CHANGING THE ATTITUDES OF NORMAL PEOPLE LIVING IN THE MESO-AMERICAN REGION

IF W+K HAS TAUGHT ME ONE THING ABOUT DOING THAT...

IT’S GET A CELEBRITY ON BOARD

SO I SET UP A MEETING WITH THE HOST OF GUATEMALA’S MASTERCHEF

AND GOT HER TO AGREE TO MAKING A FOUR PART MESOAMERICAN REEF TV SHOW

SHE WAS WELL KEEN. LOVES A BIT OF CHARITY, DOES MIRCINY.

SHE’LL COOK WITH THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES

HIGHLIGHTING SOME OF THE ISSUES FACING THE PEOPLE WHO NEED THE REEF TO SURVIVE

LIKE THESE

OVERFISHING

ILLEGAL FISHING

INVASIVE SPECIES

ALTERNATIVE WAYS COMMUNITIES PUT FOOD ON THE TABLE

AND TRY AND CHANGE SOME ATTITUDES...

THEY’RE LOOKING TO FILM IN FEBRUARY SO WATCH THIS SPACE

BUT TIE WAS NOT WITHOUT IT’S CHALLENGES

HERE’S A FEW

I ASKED MY HOST FAMILY FOR AN EXTRA BLANKET TO SLEEP. IN SPANISH. OBVIOUSLY.

SHE LEFT 2 BANANAS ON MY BED

I ASKED THE GEEZER I WAS STAYING WITH IF HE WANTED TO GRAB A DRINK. ASKED HIM IN SPANISH.

HE ORDERED ME A TAKEAWAY MCDONALDS

SERIOUSLY THOUGH. TIE WAS ONE OF THE MOST REWARDING THINGS I’VE DONE. IF YOU DO TIE, THE FIRST THING YOU’LL BE MET WITH IS EXPECTANT FACES. THE PEOPLE IN THE CHARITY WILL BE EXPECTING YOU TO MOVE MOUNTAINS AND PERFORM COMMUNICATIONS MIRACLES. IN A MONTH. YOU’LL HAVE TO MANAGE THEIR EXPECTATIONS AND THEN MOVE SMALL MOUNTAINS TO LEAVE BEHIND SOMETHING THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE TO THEIR WORK AND WOULDN’T HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE WITHOUT YOU. DOING ALL THAT MEANS YOU’LL DEVELOP MORE AS AN AD PERSON IN A MONTH, THAN YOU WOULD IN A YEAR OR MORE BACK IN LONDON.

PLUS YOU GET A NIFTY LITTLE TOTE BAG

THANK YOU AND GRACIAS