It’s thrilling. It’s nail-biting. And it makes you feel so very proud of the work you do every day.
This is the pervading feeling throughout Flow’s offices as WWF South Africa’s #iam4rhinos campaign takes off.
“We’ve set up a big screen in the reception area where we watch the campaign’s progress online,” says Flow CEO Tara Turkington, who just this morning was on the air with 5fm’s Gareth Cliff discussing the #iam4rhinos campaign.
Designed to grow global awareness in the week leading up to World Rhino Day (22 September), the digital movement sees people all over the world pledging their support for the rhino under the #iam4rhinos hashtag on Twitter, and asking their friends and followers to do the same.
The campaign aims to shift attitudes towards the use of rhino horn and includes a targeted focus on luxury brands and digital celebrities.
“#iam4rhinos @NatGeo @DalaiLama @Prof_S_Hawking Are you? #1milliontweets #iam4rhinos,” read one ambitious tweet from @gr8thek8.
“We have set up a website www.iam4rhinos.com that has a Twitter wall on it, with the shape of a rhino filling up each time we record a tweet with #iam4rhinos. This way, people will be able to see their commitment to the campaign and the cumulative interactions that are happening globally,” Tara adds.
The goal is to record 1-million tweets with the #iam4rhinos.
“Nothing of this scale has ever been achieved on Twitter from a project emanating from South Africa before. But we believe if we can get enough South Africans to know about it, we’ll be able to achieve it. And protecting the last rhinos is surely one of the most meaningful and relevant causes we can support right now, for if we don’t, they will soon be gone.”
This year alone, South Africa, which is home to some 75% of the world’s rhino population, has lost 618 rhinos. However, the fight against rhino poaching will not be won solely by interventions in Africa. It requires international effort.
We call on all friends and fans of Flow everywhere to join the Twitterstorm. Stand up for rhino conservation and pledge your support now: #iam4rhinos – are you?