March for Giants: Elizabeth Hurley and Ricky Gervais join global billboard campaign to save African elephants

Author(s)

Rashid Razaq, Evening Standard

Date Published

See link for photos. 

Stars including Elizabeth Hurley, Ricky Gervais and Joanna Lumley have joined thousands of people signing up to be part of the March for Giants.

Tomorrow a herd of digital elephants will start their trek across the world’s electronic billboards to raise awareness of the crisis facing the animals in Africa.

The virtual elephants will set off in Hong Kong before heading for a giant screen in New York’s Times Square.

The herd will reach London’s Westfield Stratford City shopping centre on Friday, Birmingham on Saturday and end in Manchester on Sunday.

The global campaign — #MarchforGiants — highlights the illegal ivory trade, and has also gained the support of actress Anna Friel and Saracens rugby stars including Brad Barritt.

Joanna Lumley said: “We must act now to save elephants. March for Giants is a quick and easy way for us all to show our support and ensure the survival of these magnificent creatures for future generations.

“For the price of a coffee and sandwich you can help protect an elephant in the wild.”

Londoners can join #MarchforGiants by going to marchforgiants.org and donating £5, or by texting GIANT plus their name to 70025.  This will create a personalised elephant to join the parade and be part of a united global response to the threat facing Africa’s elephants.

The money raised will support Space for Giants, the conservation charity of which Evening Standard proprietor Evgeny Lebedev is a patron. It is the charity’s mission to protect half Africa’s remaining 380,000 elephants by 2020.

Max Graham, founder and CEO of Space for Giants, said: “We’re racing to protect as many elephants as we can both from poaching and the loss of habitat, which are massive and urgent threats to the survival of these iconic animals. It’s a huge boost to have elephants at the centre of this innovative, brilliant campaign.”

Leading brands including National Express, Givergy, Maclaren, FIRSTavenue Made by Riley and BCD Travel have signed up to show their support.

The campaign is the world’s first to link global billboard space and was created by London-based digital creative agency 18 Feet & Rising.

It brought together technical and digital teams with expertise in advertising, 3D digital design, gaming development, instant-share image creation, cross-border charitable payment, and animal science.

How to sponsor

INDIVIDUAL DONATION

By giving £5 you will protect an elephant in the wild for a month. In return your personalised baby elephant will join #MarchforGiants bearing your name and chosen colour.

CORPORATE DONATION

A donation of £5,000 will protect an elephant in the wild for life. In return your adult elephant branded with your logo and chosen colour will be part of the March.

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/march-for-giants-elizabeth-hurley-and-ricky-gervais-join-global-billboard-campaign-to-save-african-a3496271.html