Marine Life & Conservation
Marine Conservation Society unveils new strategy, brand and website
The Marine Conservation Society has unveiled a refreshed strategy – an action plan for healthy seas – highlighting the charity’s work towards a better protected, cleaner and healthier ocean, for everyone.
The strategy pulls together the charity’s yearlong project exploring its values, tone of voice and visual representation, resulting in a new brand, website and refocused mission.
Sandy Luk, CEO of the Marine Conservation Society: “We’re facing an ocean emergency; the ocean is in poor health because of human activity. We’re polluting our waters and destroying precious habitats, not only harming the species that live in our seas, but reducing the ocean’s ability to help us fight the climate crisis. We must act now to turn the tide and restore its health, and to do this we must inspire social, political and cultural change – the way we represent ourselves is crucial to this.”
To reflect the urgent action needed to tackle the ocean emergency, the Marine Conservation Society has realigned, focusing on a central mission: to breathe life back into the ocean.
Amanda Nobbs, Chair of Trustees at the Marine Conservation Society: “We need healthy seas to tackle climate change. Our new action plan, website and brand focus on the urgent action we can all take to turn things around. The choices we make every day – the food we eat, the clothes we wear – have an impact on our ocean.”
As a result of significant funding, the Marine Conservation Society has worked with Bristol-based digital agency, Torchbox, to design and build a new website. The charity’s new website is an extension of its strategy, putting people-powered action at the heart of the Marine Conservation Society’s digital offering.
Maya Gibbs, Product Director, Torchbox: “We’re proud of our role in developing a website that can help any of us play a part in the fight for our ocean. From helping you to organise and run beach cleans, to teaching you about the most and least sustainable fish in the Good Fish Guide, there’s something for everyone.”
In tandem with the development of a new website, the charity enlisted the help of world-renowned advertising agency, BBH, to consider how the Marine Conservation Society should look to reflect the charity’s mission. BBH volunteered their time to create the initial ideas and concepts through their brand agency, Zag.
Natalie Doto, Designer of the charity’s new brand said: “People often think about the land and the ocean as separate entities, when in reality how we choose to live on land has a direct effect on the ocean and vice versa. When creating the new brand, we were inspired by this symbiotic relationship between these two worlds that is essential to sustaining life on earth.
“We created a logo that was all about balance; equally weighted between two sides, with letterforms full of ocean-y character to capture the spirit of the ocean and all the life that lives in it. It was important for us to create a brand with universal appeal, able to both reinvigorate current supporters as well as attracting the next generation of ocean activists.”
The charity’s logo has also been brought to life with a series of animations featuring marine creatures including shoals of fish, a crab and jellyfish. See them all in action across the charity’s digital channels.
Read the Marine Conservation Society’s action plan for healthy seas and visit the charity’s new look website.
After a two-year tour of UK art galleries, community spaces and aquariums, the Shark Trust’s acclaimed Oceanic31 exhibition takes its final bow at the Royal Geographical Society later this month. And the unique collection of artwork, depicting 31 species of oceanic sharks and rays, donated by 31 artists, is now open for bids from art lovers and shark enthusiasts. The online auction, launched today, will close on the 7th December at 8pm (BST). The money raised will support the Shark Trust Oceanics Programme.
People can now bid on 27 of the artworks by visiting this website:
https://superstars-auctions.com/sharktrustauction
It is a chance to own a beautiful piece of original art and to support the Shark Trust. The timing of the auction also means that these would make a very special Christmas gift for any shark-lover.
-
- Bigeye Thresher Shark by Janina Rossiter
-
- Carcharodon carcharias by Jimmy Higgs
-
- Croc VR 2030 by Tom Mead
-
- Oceanic Whitetip by ATM
-
- Silky Street by ScapaJoe
The diversity of pieces mirrors that of the sharks and rays they represent. You can bid on paintings, digital creations, sculptures, mixed media and more. You can pick your favourite artist or species of shark. Or you can select the perfect artwork to make a statement in your home or office. Whichever you choose, you will be supporting the work to protect these amazing animals.
One of the pieces of art has been selected to be auctioned live by Steve Backshall at the For the Love of Sharks event at the Royal Geographical Society in London on the 29th November. In addition to this, two further pieces will be raffled at this event, giving people a chance to win an incredible piece of shark art. For the Love of Sharks is the Shark Trust’s flagship evening. A night to celebrate sharks. Steve Backshall is the headline speaker at this event that will see other prominent shark advocates join him on stage.
Tickets for the event can be snapped up here:
https://thesharktrust.org.uk/Event/flos24
Those that would like to see the Oceanic 31 exhibition have one final chance. It is being displayed at the Pavilion at the Royal Geographic Society from 26th November until the 7th December. Entry is free.
Find out more here:
https://www.rgs.org/events/upcoming-events/oceanic-31
Paul Cox, Shark Trust CEO, Said “This exhibition has given us the opportunity to reach out to a new audience. And inspire more people with the wonderful sharks and rays on which our Big Shark Pledge campaign is based. We are immensely grateful to the 31 artists who have worked so hard to create these works.”
Bid for your favourite Oceanic 31 artwork here:
https://superstars-auctions.com/sharktrustauction
Banner Image: Smooth Hammerhead by Alicia Hayden
Until 28 November, prizes worth a massive £10,000 – including experiences, products and tuition – feature in a line-up of items that can be won for £5 in an online prize draw to celebrate Bite-Back Shark & Marine Conservation’s 20th anniversary and help generate crucial funds for the future.
Top of the list of prizes is the chance to spend time with adventurer and wildlife expert Steve Backshall, a workout session with Nat Geo star Aldo Kane, a kayaking trip alongside white-water expert and diver Sal Montgomery and a Zoom call with ‘shark whisperer’ Cristina Zenato.
On top of that, some of the most admired companies in the diving and scuba industry have been quick to support the charity with fabulous prizes that make the £5 ticket price worth more than just a flutter.
Master Liveaboards, BSAC, Midlands Diving Chamber, Go Freediving and Blue Shark Snorkel have all generously donated experience prizes, while celebrated photographer Alex Mustard has donated a print and artists Scott Gleed and Olivier Leger have donated a sculpture and illustration to help boost the fundraising pot.
Fourth Element has donated Ocean Positive gear and LA watch company Nodus has gifted the charity a stunning dive watch. For land lovers, the charity has included a five star London hotel stay at Bankside Hotel plus a family visit to Longleat Safari Park in the roster of prizes.
Campaign director for Bite-Back, Graham Buckingham, said: “We’ve been overwhelmed with support from companies and individuals that we truly admire and who have supported us on our 20 year journey and we’re truly grateful to them all. While we feel incredibly proud of our achievements over the past two decades – and we are super excited about the next chapter – this prize draw isn’t a vanity project. It represents a real lifeline to our work and important advancements in the global protection of sharks. So we hope divers, dive clubs and even bargain hunters grab some tickets to make this a massive success.”
The charity hopes that the prize draw will generate crucial funds to launch a brand new, ground-breaking, campaign to enrol the public and increase support for the protection of sharks around the world.
To enter the competition visit www.bite-back.com/prizedraw. The prize winners will be announced on 1 December 2024.
-
News1 month agoIconic SS United States to become the World’s Largest Artificial Reef
-
Blogs3 months agoNovoScuba’s Game-Changing Approach for Dive Store Owners: WE PAY YOU!
-
News2 months agoBook Review – 52 Assignments: Underwater Photography
-
Gear News2 months agoDYNAMICNORD – New German diving brand enters the British market
-
News2 months agoExploring Cenote El Pit: A Diver’s Dream
-
Gear News2 months agoTry BARE drysuits (and maybe even win one!) this Friday with Sea & Sea at North West Dive Fest
-
News3 months agoComing Soon – 52 Assignments
-
News3 months agoSave £200 per person per week at Pole Pole Lodge with Dive Worldwide