Nature first: TOI wins title of green brand of the year

The environment is more than a news item in TOI. It is a commitment. From actively bringing to readers the most pressing issues facing the planet to proactively promoting green causes, this newspaper takes pride in putting nature first. To see and ensure that the environment is nurtured and appreciated is its own reward, but when such efforts are recognised at global fora, it comes as a boost to the commitment to do more. Two such initiatives launched by TOI, 'Saving Our Stripes' and 'UnPlastic India', have now earned us the title of green brand of the year at IAA Olive Crown Awards 2024.

#UnplasticIndia

On June 5, World Environment Day, TOI launched the #UnplasticIndia campaign to spread awareness against plastic use and help readers find alternatives to single-use plastic in daily life. To that end, 21 tips were shared in the newspaper to eliminate single-use plastic over 21 days. Partnerships were built with multiple NGOs to spread awareness of alternatives in corporate parks and RWAs across key cities and conduct plastic collection drives.

UNEP shared the campaign on their bulletin, with Dia Mirza also joining in the conversation.

The call to action - signing an online pledge to eliminate single-use plastic - saw participation from over 5 lakh people. India's leading sand artist Sudarshan Pattnaik also created art on the beaches of Puri beach depicting marine creatures being impacted by plastic. Another art installation was created in Chennai with plastic collected from a collection drive in collaboration with artist B Gowtham. The installation used 600kg of plastic waste and 700kg of iron waste.

Earlier, in March, the campaign also won the prestigious Grand Prix award in the print and publishing category at Spikes Asia 2024. The campaign also won bronze awards under the categories Industry Craft: Illustration and Design-Posters. The agency, VML, had done the creatives for this campaign.

Saving Our Stripes
The 50th anniversary of Project Tiger last year brought momentous news. India's tiger count had soared to more than 3,500. The occasion called for celebration and a renewed commitment to the cause of protecting the big cat. TOI pulled out all stops to launch 'Saving Our Stripes'. Sustained coverage of India's tiger reserves was supplemented by a collaboration with world-renowned wildlife cinematographer Subbiah Nallamuthu and leading Bollywood music director Shantanu Moitra. This led to the creation of a first-of-its-kind Tiger Anthem. Rendered in the voice of a child, and featuring heartwarming, visuals of a tigress and her cub, the video achieved an instant connect.

Side by side, we engaged in a search for solutions with experts. There was also a thought-provoking cartoon series (TigerTOONS) to help spread the message amongst the youth. Podcasts, videos and contextual contests helped add to the momentum that was being spearheaded by the tiger anthem's growing popularity.

The anthem was launched by Union environment minister Bhupender Yadav on May 24, 2023, in Delhi. What followed was both humbling and awe-inspiring - recognition from PM Narendra Modi and his team of ministers. The initiative garnered an impressive reach of 384 million+ and 137 million+ engagements while the hashtag was shared more than 150k times on social media.

The anthem also spread beyond India's borders. Nat Geo invited us to broadcast it across South Asia in regional languages and it was also featured at the G20 summit in New Delhi in Sept 2023. It was also recognised by platforms like Bhutan's Keunsel and Sri Lanka's Daily Mirror.


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