Behind the WWF’s X-Tinction Twitter Post
Twitter – or as it’s now called, X – has come into conversation for several reasons since Elon Musk first bought the platform in October of 2022. Most recently, the conversation surrounding it has been focused on the rebranding from what was formerly known as ‘Twitter’ to the new namesake ‘X’. While many have either praised or condemned the move, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) had other ideas about creating a conversation.
Working alongside McCann Germany, the WWF in Germany decided to use the timeline of logo changes as a way to showcase how 1 million species of birds are currently threatened with extinction. “A quarter of mammal species, one in eight bird species, more than 30% of sharks and rays, and 40% of amphibian species are endangered,” said the social post on both LinkedIn and X. And it certainly caught the attention of social media users, who praised the organisation for using a social trend to highlight real issues which need to be addressed.
With reshares and reposts, likes, comments and translations on the post from around the world, LBB’s Nisna Mahtani speaks to McCann Germany’s executive creative director Pedro Americo to hear more about how the message was communicated in a brand-relevant and trend-responsive way.
LBB> When you saw Twitter’s logo change, what were your immediate thoughts and how did it tie into the WWF brand?
Pedro> At first glance, Twitter’s rebranding doesn’t connect directly with the WWF. But we saw an opportunity to participate in the rebranding conversation once we had the insight that the X meant the end of the blue bird’s era. In the classic comic book illustration world, many times the X is used for that purpose. The execution then came naturally.
LBB> Talk to us a little bit about working with the WWF and what they wanted to achieve with this statement. What was the key message?
Pedro> Working with the WWF on this project was great. Having a partner that understands very well the importance of topical conversations and how to act fast is key. The objective of this initiative was to create awareness and reach out to as many people as possible about the actual issues the world is facing. And hopefully, touch people to embark on this conversation and proactively participate or engage with the WWF. Choosing a trending topic to generate conversation, in this case, worked very well – especially because it is a surprising way to tell the rebranding story that is already out there.
LBB> It was important to act speedily on this and it’s essential not to overcomplicate things. How did you decide on what to include?
Pedro> Being quick is fundamental. Conversations in social media channels happen fast, therefore you need to act speedily to not miss the train. Ideally, you need to operate on an agile team, capable of understanding the opportunities as they come. But as important as that, you also need to be very simple and not address too many messages. You are already participating in a topic that usually you wouldn’t be participating in, so your message must be crystal clear. No fancy messaging. Straight to the point.
LBB> With simple, clean messaging, the image is open to global interpretation. Was that something you kept in mind during the creative process?
Pedro> Yes. Being a global topic and also a very visual idea, it creates this international appeal. We kept the story simple and objective. It’s possible to understand it at first glance even if you can’t speak German. And that’s why it has been shared all around the world – and even translated into different languages.
LBB> Of course, the messaging to go alongside the image was also key. Can you tell us about the extinction of species which you wanted to mention in the caption?
Pedro> This is the key message that people should take from it: Today we are facing the greatest extinction of species since the end of the dinosaur era. A quarter of mammal species, one in eight bird species, more than 30% of sharks and rays, and 40% of amphibian species are endangered. These are global facts that need attention, and we are happy that this post is bringing this message all around social media.
LBB> For those who are looking to create responsive content but aren’t sure where to start, can you share any words of wisdom for creating brand-related content?
Pedro> If you want to bring brands to be part of a conversation, be sure you are adding something new to it. That you have an interesting point of view. Don’t be repetitive, or don’t say anything just to have something to say – if you don’t, then don’t participate. Wait for the right opportunity. And of course, make sure your message makes sense to the topic and it’s relevant and compelling.
LBB> There has been quite a social response to the image already. What are some of the reactions you’re seeing and why do you think it’s resonating with people?
Pedro> The response has been mostly positive from all around the globe, which is really inspiring. It’s good to see a positive message being spread out in the world through so many different outlets from people with different backgrounds. I even saw proactive translations in the assets, reinterpretations of the creative asset and even animated versions. I do believe that the controversial rebranding topic allied with the interpretation of the storyline of the blue bird, which is very visual and universal, helped the message to be spread out.
LBB> You talk about the campaign needing to be agile, but also clever and relevant. Why is this so important in the current market circumstances?
Pedro> Because there are a lot of conversations happening on social media, and everybody is trying to jump on them. If you are not clever in how you participate in the conversation, by either offering a new perspective, questioning what is going on or shifting it, people will not pay attention. If you are not quick, you can’t be part of the conversation. You need to bring relevant arguments or perspectives to be heard. Just like any conversation. It just happens in an environment where these topics shift really quickly.
LBB> Created for WWF Germany, how has the local market reacted to it and also, what has the global response been like?
Pedro> The response has been enormous. The campaign hit incredible numbers already on the first day, which brought global attention to it. The fact that the topic is global and social media has no borders helped the post to spread fast and ended up being translated into different languages and markets.
LBB> What’s next for the WWF? Is there anything else we should keep an eye out for?
Pedro> My humble advice is, always keep an eye on whatever WWF is doing. We will always support and be a partner as we do believe in the brand. And if you can, do the same. Support their initiatives. Donate. Be a part of the solution.
