Premier: Saving the Irrawaddy Dolphin

The Irrawaddy dolphin is an endangered species found in only three rivers in the world, one of them the Irrawaddy in Myanmar. Conservation organisations had been raising funds online and working in the river communities to protect the dolphins, especially from electrofishing, but progress was slow and the cause was known mainly to specialists.

Premier, a leading coffee brand, wanted to mark its 15th anniversary with a campaign that meant something. The opportunity was to bring a much broader segment of Myanmar consumers into the effort to save a national symbol.

Ruder Finn Era, then ERA Communications, built the campaign around the urgency of the issue, using current events on the river to invite public awareness and encourage consumers to save the Irrawaddy dolphin with Premier.

The mechanism made participation effortless: for every sachet purchased, Premier donated one kyat to the cause, and the company provided two boats to government and NGO partners to patrol and maintain the dolphins' habitat. The anniversary became a story about national heritage rather than a brand milestone, which is what earned it coverage.