Last year the Soil Association commissioned some research to look at how well their brand stood out in the market. Much to their dismay they found that their story was just not getting out and needed to be told more simply. Like many organisations they turned to the medium of video.
The Soil Association, a registered charity, was founded back in 1946 by a group of farmers, nutritionists and scientists who saw a relationship between farming practices and the health of plants, animals and people. The relationship today is far better understood, much of this understanding can be attributed to the Soil Association. Today, the Soil Association campaigns for “healthy humane and sustainable food, farming and land use” and is the UK’s leader in this field.
The Soil Association did it’s homework and sought out Aardman, the creators of Wallace and Gromit and Shaun the Sheep and commissioned a 90 second video. They wanted to get over a very simple message about a very complex subject. The science of ‘good soil’ is fascinating, but it is not a subject that everyone wants hear about or has the time to dwell upon. With the help of Aardman, they built a story board that focused on us, the consumers of food. They started the video with the powerful statement: “Every time you shop you make choices that aren’t just about your dinner, but the future of our planet too.” This statement, together with a simple set of images provided the hook that pulled the audience in.
So far the video has been viewed over 126,700 times and is therefore reaching a very large audience for what is generally a niche subject.
