For the first time in history the French brand replaced their iconic croc with 10 different endangered animals to support their “Save Our Species” campaign.
The shirts, which featured animals like the Javan rhino, Northern sportive lemur, and Burmese roofed turtle were limited edition and only produced in the same quantity as the number of each animal left in the wild. For the Gulf of California porpoise, the rarest animal on the list, that meant only 30 shirts were made available. In total all 1,175 shirts sold out on the retailer’s site in less than five days. Proceeds from the shirts’ sales went to the International Union for Conservation of Nature which works to safeguard the natural world.
Combing a top name brand with a charitable cause and limited quantities is a tried and true formula for spreading awareness and generating buzz around a cause. The key for brands though, is to partner with a cause that “makes sense” in the consumers’ mind. Choose the wrong approach and you end up with angry and confused buyers like Susan G. Komen and KFC found when they attempted their partnership.