National Geographic's disappearing poster draws attention to declining big cats population
National Geographic has commissioned Tin Man to launch an emotive campaign to raise awareness of its 'Big Cats Initiative' – a scheme which supports scientists and conservationists working to save big cats in the wild.
To draw attention to its initiative and the global decline of big cats in the wild, National Geographic enlisted the street artist, Dean Zeus Colman, to design a disappearing 'missing' cat poster.
The artwork has been placed on the floor of Paternoster Square, London, and features 'Archie' the missing feline. Although it resembles a typical missing cat poster, it's clear that Archie is not your average neighbourhood tabby, but instead majestic lion. National Geographic claims the species has declined by 90% over the past 75 years.
The copy on the poster reads: "Have you seen Archie? Last seen basking in the African sunshine. We can't imagine life without Archie, can you? Big cats are disappearing from the face of the earth."
The creative was designed so members of the public would unwittingly rub the artwork out with their feet; the disappearing element a poignant reminder of the role humans play in the demise of big cats.
A nationwide campaign replicating the artwork will also go live on Wednesday (30 January) in Bristol, Leeds, Manchester and Edinburgh.
Mandy Sharp, founder of Tin Man Communications commented: “We wanted to create something emotive that would visually depict how big cats are being literally rubbed from the face of the earth.
"Using the familiar format of a missing cat poster but giving it a little twist and replacing a traditional moggy with Archie, our majestic lion – we knew we would create impact. It was important this was more than just a stunt so we’ve taken it nationwide with replica Missing Cat posters highlighting the plight of Africa’s big cat population hitting cities across the UK from today."
