Burt's Bees: Protecting Bees

By: Milo Goodman on 8:42:00 PM

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Honeybees, though small, play a huge role in our world. They perform 80% of all pollination, creating a huge chunk of the food we eat every day, and they contribute billions to the value of crop production. Unfortunately for the planet, a phenomenon called Colony Collapse Disorder is causing our bees to vanish. CCD, which experts believe is caused by a combination of climate change, the usage of pesticides, and habitat destruction, is leading to an unprecedented level of loss. In the United States alone, over a quarter of the managed honeybee population has disappeared since 1990, and these numbers are rapidly increasing.

Last spring, Burt's Bees launched its Bring Back the Bees campaign in an attempt to change this. As it is easily the most bee-centric company in the public eye, Burt's Bees is the perfect brand to raise awareness of the issues that threaten the existence of the species – and it didn't disappoint. By illustrating the issue with an attention-grabbing metaphor and dropping the letter B from its name, products, social media posts, and website URL, Burt's Bees was able to cleverly and effectively underscore the importance of the presence of bees.

As habitat loss is one of the reasons the bee population is dwindling, the company also wanted to focus on the importance of habitat restoration. With the aim of planting one billion wildflower seeds, Burt's Bees pledged to donate a thousand for every use of #BringBackTheBees on social media and every purchase of Bring Back The Bees lip balm. This goal was not only reached, but surpassed by over 50%. By devoting itself to a relevant and worthy cause, Burt's Bees successfully increased its social media following while simultaneously making an incredible difference for the world at large.