Hanoi, 15 October 2008-. WWF Greater Mekong and TRAFFIC Southeast Asia held the Awards Ceremony of the national “A Matter of Attitude” Print Ad Design Contest. An exhibition of the contest’s most outstanding artworks accrued from the competition was also launched and is open to the public. The contest and exhibition are part of a four-year awareness raising campaign that WWF and TRAFFIC are conducting to reduce the widespread illegal consumption of wildlife products in the country, with funding by the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA).
More than fifty designs were chosen, out of over two hundred submissions, for the exhibition by a panel of judges comprised of members from WWF Greater Mekong, TRAFFIC, and Saatchi & Saatchi, an international advertising company. The panel based their decisions on works that showed a clear message, high artistry, creativity, and had an educational orientation.
Of the fifty works to be exhibited, ten outstanding designs were selected for prizes. Nemaja Vucievic and Aymi Tran are taking home first prize for their submission entitled “The Innocent Condemned to Death”, whose emotionally charged photos, portraying young animals blindfolded with a noose around the neck, impels the viewer to read the stories of their tragic fate. The top six submissions will be reworked before being published in the country’s most popular newspapers and magazines, and produced as posters and fliers to be placed in public spaces.
In his speech at the ceremony, the WWF Greater Mekong Representative – Eric Coull said “The quality of the entries was fantastic – it was a real pleasure but also a difficult task to choose between them.”
The submissions to the contest reflect people’s interest across the country in stopping the unsustainable and illegal consumption of wildlife. It was refreshing that the majority of submissions came from Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, as they are the cities in which there is the most demand for wild products. The contest also heralded submissions from as far away as New York City and Vietnamese living abroad, as well expatriates living in Vietnam; truly showing the scope of awareness and concern that is growing around this urgent topic.
“I am really impressed by the submissions. They came from the hearts and minds of the authors, who must be so passionate about the issue and understand it really well,” said Joel Clement, Regional Head of Art of Saatchi & Saatchi Asia, during the judgment rounds. “I have been involved with judging such award competitions, but what I find most interesting about this project, is that these ideas come from the general community, not from renowned and professionally trained designers”.
The six species selected for the contest, the King cobra, pangolin, rhinoceros, Asian Moon bear, tiger, and sea turtle were chosen as all are commonly consumed species, which are also protected under Vietnamese and international law.
The WWF Greater Mekong Representative – Eric Coull said “Unsustainable and illegal wildlife trade is one of the biggest threats to the remaining rich and unique biodiversity left in Vietnam. I really hope that the people of Vietnam can wake up to the real danger of extinction that many species are facing in their country. It is the natural heritage of Vietnam that’s at stake here, and people need to take action to change consumption levels, before it’s too late”.