How Microsoft Advertising is Helping Save the African Elephant

Microsoft’s Global Creative Solutions is behind some of the most innovative global advertising campaigns driven across Microsoft’s products and platforms – from MSN to Xbox, Outlook.com and Skype. But over the years, the team has been on the lookout for ways to use its talent, digital marketing experience and the power and global reach of Microsoft advertising platforms to make a real difference and give back in a meaningful way.

This opportunity presented itself with horns, hooves and trunks firmly attached!  The African elephant is the fascinating and fragile symbol of the continent’s wildlife;  the largest mammal on Earth, weighing up to 6350 Kg and unique in many ways such as being one of the only creatures other than man known to show empathy and retain musical melodies. 

And yet, over 100 elephants are killed daily and the estimated 400,000 elephants that remain in sub-Saharan Africa are at a real risk of extinction within 10 years. 

Space For Giants, organises front-line anti-poaching teams, works to reduce the demand for ivory through government lobbying and education and in Laikipia, Kenya, the charity is developing a conservation strategy for the area’s 7,000 elephants that also involves the local people. This take on conservation is the first of its kind in East Africa, and Space for Giants seeks to transform it into a model for sustainable conservation across the continent.

When the Global Creative Solutions team learnt about the Space for Giants organisation they decided to act. 

The Microsoft Global Creative Solutions team created an interactive educational microsite in the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain to raise international awareness by exposing some wonderful anecdotes about elephants and documenting the current threat to their survival. On the site, users can discover the typical daily journey of an elephant through the stories of six magnificent creatures that are protected by Space For Giants in real life in the Laikipia region. As users join these elephants for their daily walk of 60 kilometres, they can also read more about their habitat and threats, exposing the plight that these elephants face as an endangered species. 

Microsoft Global Creative Solutions not only donated pro bono funds for production and resources, with team members pulling the microsite together during and after office hours; but in the same charitable spirit, also donated free advertising space across the breadth of the Microsoft services and screens including editorial placements on MSN as well as advertisements on Windows 8 Ads in Apps, Outlook.com and Xbox in all five markets.

“We were delighted to be able to work with a company like Microsoft to help bring our message to audiences across Europe.  Their unique ability to tell stories across platforms was one of the main reasons we wanted to partner with them.  A special shout out needs to go to the Multi -National Creative Solutions team who have gone above and beyond to understand the Space for Giants brand and build out a wonderful digital experience.  With elephant poaching at unprecedented levels, this communication platform couldn’t be more timely.” Said Dr. Max Graham, Founder, Space for Giants.