W+K London’s campaign for the National Trust raises awareness of how nature enriches our lives

If there’s one thing we all learned during lockdown, it was the importance of getting outside and spending time in nature where possible. In fact, it became the highlight of the day for those able to venture out, and a place in which friends and families gathered once it was safe to do so. Today, the National Trust is launching a campaign which embodies exactly this. Titled Everyone Needs Nature, it’s a UK-wide appeal to raise awareness of how maintaining a connection with nature enriches our lives, and how it is vital to preserve and protect nature and wildlife. The campaign has been devised by Wieden + Kennedy London, continuing a partnership which began earlier this year.

A series of short videos and accompanying stills which will air on ITV, Channel 4 and Sky, on billboards around the country, and in national newspapers and magazines; the campaign’s media has been planned and bought by MediaLab. Taking place over six weeks, Everyone Needs Nature follows the bold ambitions set out by the Trust to mark its 125th anniversary in January, including planting 20 million trees and creating green corridors for nature.

The concept of the campaign focuses on nature and wellbeing; conveying the universal need for nature. A must watch if you’re having a difficult Monday morning, each clip provides a moment of calm, whether through waves lapping on the shore, a stone skimming across a lake, a robin perched on some stones, or a river gently trickling across the screen. The idea is to remind us of the benefits and therefore the importance of persevering nature and our environment.

Tony Davidson, executive creative director at W+K London, says in a press release: “A connection to green spaces, wildlife and a sense of calm are essential for our well-being. Everyone Needs Nature helps remind people of nature’s calming effects. The National Trust has been helping to protect nature for the past 125 years and this year, more than ever, it needs our help to continue doing it for generations to come.”

The Trust’s crucial nature conservation work was hit hard during the lockdown, with this campaign originally planned to go out in March. In turn, this series of films takes on more significance in its appeal for donations. These will be used for a variety of nature conservation work programmes; £5 will buy and plant a tree, £10 will help maintain coastal footpaths and £15 will help with wildflower meadow creation. 

Commenting on this difficult time and on the urgency of the message in Everyone Needs Nature, the Trust’s marketing director Shaherazad Umbreen says: “We are very aware of the impact our losses will have on our ability to achieve our ambitions for nature so we decided to sharpen our focus on fundraising and on awareness raising of the work that we do.  

“Lockdown, more than any other period of time, showed us clearer than ever before the value of nature and its importance for our wellbeing. Spending time outdoors became the one moment people could look forward to in their day, and as restrictions eased, meeting up with friends in nature – in gardens, parks and the open countryside has given many something positive to focus on as we have all navigated these challenging times.  

“Now, more than ever, we need to engage with more people, make clear our ambitions to help nature and take our members and supporters on a journey with us.”