The Pacific Salmon Foundation Hires British Columbia's Biggest Salmon Expert

If you live in BC, you probably know that salmon are one of the province’s keystone species. What you may not know, however, is how they’re facing more challenges than ever, and why that’s such a big problem for our entire way of life. To raise awareness of the importance of salmon, the Pacific Salmon Foundation (PSF) have enlisted the help of probably the biggest salmon expert ever.   

“Mr. Brown has been studying and living alongside salmon his entire life,” explains Allison Colina, vice-president, development, marketing and communications for PSF. “There’s not a single person we can think of who spends as much time thinking about salmon as him, and that’s saying something coming from us."

So, what makes Mr. Brown so well-suited to the job? Well, probably the fact that he’s a walking, talking brown bear. The new hire comes as part of PSF’s first campaign since enlisting TAXI to support them in developing their branding and marketing. The new creative will act as the introduction of Mr. Brown into the public eye, with the intention of having him act as the not-for-profit’s 'spokesbear' for many years to come. 

“We’re so excited to be working with Mr. Brown for this first piece of creative,” says James Sadler, executive creative director of TAXI Vancouver, “BC has a lot of love for bears, and everyone pays attention when their wellbeing comes into question. So, using their prestige felt like a smart but unexpected way to make sure people take notice of what’s happening to the salmon.”

'Unexpected' is a key word, as many people might be wondering why an organisation that is devoted to protecting the salmon would partner up with one of their predators. But, as Allison points out: “while it’s true that brown bears eat salmon, that’s actually a good thing as it's a natural circle that adds to the health of our ecosystems. The reality is, we all need salmon to survive – us, Mr. Brown, all of nature. And we need to work together to ensure their numbers recover.”

The public can expect to meet Mr. Brown for the first time in early October, with a cross-platform campaign consisting of TV, online film and radio.