This ‘Vertical Bike’ Prevents Palm Trees Being Felled in the Peruvian Amazon

Every year, more than one million trees are indiscriminately felled in the Peruvian Amazon, which is equivalent to 800,000 professional soccer stadiums, because of the aguaje harvest.

This fruit, which stands out for having a high content of vitamin A, grows on palm trees that are usually up to 35 meters high, making it very difficult to reach. That is why cutting down trees is considered the fastest way to get to the fruit.

"Our community has been fighting against the indiscriminate felling of the aguaje tree. Our people have settled on this land for many years, and we want to protect it," explains Mariluz Maurayari, Parinaris community activist from the Amazon jungle.

Therefore, Ogilvy Perú devised ‘Vertical Bike’, the first creative solution that simplifies the harvest of aguaje and avoids cutting down trees, contributing significantly to protecting the ecosystem.

"Vertical Bike is a unique creation that stems from our commitment to protect our land. The great achievement that makes this piece unique is that we put aside the chainsaws and use their motors to build Vertical Bike, transforming part of the problem into the solution. This machine allows you to climb the 35 meters of the palm tree in just 30 seconds, it is easy to transport through the jungle and has the capacity to support up to 90 kg”, said Yasu Arakaki, chief creative officer of Ogilvy Peru.

“We have been working on this project for a long time since there were many variables that appeared along the way. We are very proud about the final result; everything was worth it. At Ogilvy we believe in the integral creative role of an agency, where developing innovations, prototypes, products, and learning from those experiences gives new capabilities to the team. We are very grateful to Honda for their support in this initiative and to the Parinaris community for giving us the opportunity to contribute to the solution of a problem that is so important for them”, said Juan Pablo Álvarez CCO of Ogilvy Andina.