Campaign approach
From the beginning I wanted Tale Trek as a whole to incorporate areas of design and topics I was interested in so I knew from the outset it’d be a task I’d maintain interest in throughout the course of the academic year. Because I had an interest in character design and illustration I knew that targeting this towards a younger demographic would fit the assignment. From there I could then know where to centre the marketing approach and how I would attempt to make this experience more successful as a reserve.
Techniques
As most non-profit nature reserves are ran they are greatly supported by donations made from the general public so I decided to make a great push in encouraging visitors to do this. I wanted to do this in a way that didn’t seem in your face as a customer as this could deter them from contributing but also that they would be able to gain something out of it, whether that be from a moral standpoint or physical items. I took inspiration from WWF who provide physical gift bags in response to people who adopt animals through their organisation. I did this by designing cuddly toys that people can receive once donating to the reserve. This technique will primarily work for a younger audience so to attract the older generation Tale Trek promises to plant one tree per donation which will target their moral senses.
Alongside marketing strategies I have designed an in-depth visual campaign that covers various demographics in order to reach a widespread amount of people. This will in turn solidify the brands identity and central themes.
Print Marketing
Although advertising online is primarily what’s used in today’s day and age the secondary audience for Tale Trek would also encompass the child’s parents as well as anybody nature/wildlife inclined. These people may be more likely to hear about events and places to visit through newsletters and magazines posted around and about, so I decided to put an emphasis on physical copies as well.
I started by creating a magazine edition that could also double up as posters. These had a higher emphasis on creating safe spaces for wildlife and educating the general public about their struggles and what could be done to improve their quality of life. I used the same design style for each so they looked cohesive when placed next to one another which also made it clear they all came from the same issue. However, I used different variations of the same colour palette to differentiate them as well as using them accordingly for which colours suited the background image the most. For these spreads I wanted to use photos of the animals in their natural habitats to further the message of protections but also because I enjoy photographing wild-life and knew I’d be able to source the images myself. I used a quick and easy slogan “Save our ___” for each poster to highlight the message and reinstated this with the call to action at the bottom of the page encouraging donations.
Another form of hearing about organisations can be through newsletters. These can be sent straight through your door or found in local cafe’s, town halls, information centres and other nature reserves. They are easy to pick up whenever you’re out in public and have a quick scan through so I thought it’d be appropriate to include within the campaign. As there is less space to advertise Tale Trek than a website or poster it’s important to relay all the key attractions and selling points in a concise way so I’ve made sure to include information relating to the 3D animation and virtual tour. I’ve also designed this according to the brands visual identity using the same colour palette, typography and illustrations.
Here I’ve created 2 activity sheets that can be included with the cuddly toys or offered separately at the reserve. I’ve designed these to provide more activities targeted towards younger people that they can complete during the trail or in their own time. One activity sheet is a classic maze that encourages cognitive ability amongst youth, including their memory, focus and concentration levels. The other is a sticker sheet that can almost always be guaranteed to be appreciated and once stuck down can offer as a reminder of their visit to Tale Trek.
Social Media Marketing
To further brand awareness I’ve designed a series of Instagram posts advertising different elements of the reserve. This will enhance engagement with the audience and drive traffic towards the website for people who want to find out more information.
As I hadn’t created any animations using the 2D illustrations I thought that designing one using the TikTok format would add more diversity to the campaign, especially considering a large number of the target audience would be active on this app.
Website Design
In order to create a central hub where all information relating towards the trail can be kept I’ve designed a website prototype using Figma where this can be found.
References:
- WWF-UK. (2025) Adopt A Tiger. [Webpage] Available at: https://support.wwf.org.uk/adopt-a-tiger [Accessed 17/05/25]