TAZO has always long-been the tea brand that challenges the status quo to better society, and TAZO wanted to uphold this standard in an even bigger, bolder and actionable way to redefine its purpose. We learned that while climate change is often discussed as a looming threat to come, many are feeling its effects today. In fact, BIPOC communities in the U.S. have been disproportionately impacted by climate change for decades, according to recent research. TAZO wanted to take action to address this inequality, and we were charged with creating a plan for how TAZO could meaningfully join the fight for climate justice that would make an impact and resonate with TAZO’s consumer base.
Enter TAZO Tree Corps…
STRATEGY & EXECUTION
We know that trees are vital to sustaining our environment and have countless beneficial properties; however, some communities aren’t able to experience these benefits because of the lack of trees. We partnered with American Forests, the oldest U.S. nonprofit conservation to launch the TAZO Tree Corps, a paid, locally hired workforce led by The Davey Tree Expert Company to plant trees in BIPOC communities across five major U.S. cities.
We also knew that a high-profile spokesperson with an authentic connection to the issue was critical to drive mass awareness. As such, we partnered with singer-songwriter SZA, an advocate for climate justice, to create a launch video to educate consumers about climate injustice, particularly in underprivileged areas, and the urgency of the issue.
OUTCOME
- Garnered approximately 1.2 billion earned impressions with coverage in consumer and sustainability outlets, including a launch exclusive on CBS This Morning, EcoWatch, Harper’s BAZAAR, HuffPo and NBC Stay Tuned, among others
- SZA's Instagram launch video garnered more than 1M+ organic views in the first 30 hours live
- Earned the #1 spot in Ad Age’s “Top 5 Creative Brand Ideas You Need to Know About Right Now”
- Gained immediate interest in the program from influential individuals and organizations including Slow Factory, WE THE URBAN and World Economic Forum
- Launched TAZO’s TikTok channel, leveraging paid and owned content to share our mission with a younger Gen Z audience