Whiskas' Epic Cat Fails Share a Harsh Reality on Wild Tigers

Whiskas has today announced that it is planning to raise a further £250,000 this year, as it strengthens its partnership with the WWF to help protect Asia’s wild tigers and double their numbers by 2022. As part of its commitment to supporting WWF, Whiskas is also matching the first £50,000 in consumer donations to the cause.

From February to April, cat owners - many of whom recognise that their own pets share the same instincts as their big cat cousins in the wild - can help protect tigers by buying a pack of Whiskas*. The brand will donate 3p from each pack of Whiskas sold to help reach this year’s quarter of a million target.

In the last two years, Whiskas has raised over £600,000 – money which is now supporting WWF’s Tigers Alive Initiative and Nepal's Terai Arc Landscape. The money raised so far has gone directly towards providing training and equipment to rangers, and providing community based anti-poaching units (CBAPUs) with the in-depth training and support needed to help them protect the tiger populations. WWF has been able to confirm that for the third consecutive year, there have been no reports of tigers being poached in the region.

Anthony Dean, Premium Cat Portfolio Manager, Whiskas, said: “This campaign has been a fantastic success so far and we are delighted to announce that it will continue in 2015. WWF Nepal work closely with the Government of Nepal, rangers in the protected areas and communities in areas surrounding these. Communities in the Terai Arc Landscape are taking responsibility for the future of the tigers living in the region – and now they have more of the resources they need to safeguard the habitat of these animals. The reaction of consumers to the campaign has ensured that we have raised an amazing amount of money but there is still a lot of work to do.”

Alison Lucas, Exec. Director of Communications and Fundraising, , WWF-UK, added: “Wild tigers are in crisis and there is an urgent need for action in the next ten years. We have an extremely ambitious target to double tiger numbers in the wild by 2022, so partnerships with high profile brands like Whiskas are invaluable. The more people we can inform about the potential fate of our wild tigers, the greater our hope of saving them.”

Whiskas and WWF have also launched a new video, developed by AMV BBDO, which uses real life footage to draw attention to the plight of tigers in the wild. The video, named “9 Lives”, highlights that whilst domestic cats may have nine lives, tigers have just the one. The video includes a number of popular YouTube cats getting into scrapes and coming out unscathed, but the video’s shocking ending aims to implore viewers to consider the fate of the tiger and take action.

The campaign will also be supported by through-the-line with advertising, PR, in-store and point of sale promotional activity to help raise awareness of the endangered tiger population.