Panthera’s plan to save tigers by giving them royalties

Brand: Panthera

Agency: Happiness Saigon / Happiness Anywhere

Market: Global

Name of campaign: Tiger royalty

Details: The idea is simple: Tigers have inspired some of the world’s best-known brands and consumer products from “diapers to sneakers to handbags”. As such, tigers should benefit from the use of their iconic image. The tiger royalty is an “artistic rights fee for tigers.”

Companies that join the programme agree to donate a portion of the proceeds from the sale of their tiger-inspired products to fund Panthera’s Tigers Forever program. The initiative aims to rebuild wild tiger populations by at least 50 per cent over a 10-year period in Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nepal and Thailand.

Client/agency comments:

Alan Rabinowitz, CEO, Panthera (and one of the world’s leading tiger conservation experts):

It’s no surprise that people are fascinated by tigers. Their beauty, strength, and charisma are humbling; it makes you realize how such magnificent creatures make our Earth a truly special place. The further loss of this species in the wild places our own survival at risk. We are looking forward to working with brands around the world who want to link the extraordinary selling power of tiger imagery with the preservation of real tigers in the wild. This wonderful idea comes at a critical moment for the future of tigers, and, frankly, not a moment too soon.

Alan Cerutti, CEO, Happiness Saigon:

Tiger Royalty is a simple, clever platform that enables brands inspired by wild cats to meaningfully support their conservation. Today it's tigers. Tomorrow it can be leopards, or lions, or other big cats that desperately need funding to preserve their wild populations. That’s why we are thrilled to be bringing this idea to life with Panthera, an organization that is truly making a difference in the future of wild cats on this planet.

Our view: We love how this campaign brings to light something that we take for granted. While tigers inspire so many designs and brands, so few of these animals are actually living out in the wild. If human celebrities can demand payment for any use of their likeness, why can't animal celebrities as well? For any tiger-inspired brand, product or design, this campaign should be hard to ignore.