Black Forest Virtual Forest

In 2018, there were 58,000 wildfires reported nationally burning nearly nine million acres in the United States. In 2019, Black Forest® initiated a campaign to plant 100,000 trees in U.S. National Forests impacted by wildfires, raising $100,000 via social media. In 2020, the brand aimed to expand its efforts by donating $500,000 upfront to the National Forest Foundation (NFF) and engaging the public to contribute further. The goal was to enhance awareness of Black Forest®’s reforestation commitment and increase tree planting.

• Challenge: With social distancing regulations restricting outdoor activities in 2020, Black Forest® needed a novel approach to involve people in their tree-planting mission while they were confined at home. The challenge was to create an engaging, accessible way for the community to participate in reforestation efforts during a period of heightened stress.
• Insight: Scientific research shows that viewing images of trees can alleviate stress. Leveraging this insight, Black Forest® developed the Virtual National Forest—a digital space where fans could interact with tree images online, thus providing a serene experience while contributing to a philanthropic cause.

‍

On Arbor Day, Black Forest® launched the Virtual National Forest, the world’s first crowd-sourced digital forest. By commenting on tree photos with the hashtag #🐻❤️🌲 on Instagram, users helped plant a virtual tree, triggering a $1 donation from Black Forest® for each hashtag use (up to $50,000).

26 Influencers and the NFF supported the campaign, amplifying its reach and impact. Additional efforts included collaborating with Drew Barrymore on Love a Tree Day and reallocating TV ad funds to further the cause. The campaign successfully planted 1.5 million trees and garnered record-breaking engagement, with 1 billion earned impressions and over $500,000 in donations.

• Results:
  • Shorty Awards Winner
  • 1 Billion Earned Impressions
  • 108,000 Engagements
  • $500,000+ in Donations
  • 1.5 Million Trees Planted by 2022
  • Virtual National Forest Recognized as an Official Digital Forest by the NFF