WWF-Canada launches Endangered Pieces: puzzles where each piece represents one animal left in the wild
The new initiative, created with design agency AKQA, puts a spotlight on the biodiversity crisis and some of the world’s at-risk species
March 16, 2022 — World Wildlife Fund Canada is marking National Panda Day by announcing a collection of customized jigsaw puzzles designed to raise awareness about biodiversity loss and support its critical conservation work.
The four puzzles, produced under the title Endangered Pieces, contain only as many pieces as animals left in the wild. The giant panda puzzle, thanks to successful conservation actions taken over the last three decades, is the largest one, containing 1,864 pieces. The Sumatran tiger puzzle is 400 pieces, the pygmy three-toed sloth is 79 pieces, and the Southern Resident killer whale, an icon of the Pacific coast, is the smallest offering with just 73 pieces.
These family-friendly puzzles, produced by leading design and innovation company AKQA, can also spark important conversations across generations about the state of wildlife and our planet, and offer a tangible way to grasp just how few of these species are left in the wild.
More information about the puzzles’ limited run, and when they will be available to purchase, can be found at endangeredpieces.wwfcastg.wwf.ca. All proceeds from the sales will be directed toward WWF-Canada’s critical conservation work.
Mark Charles, WWF-Canada’s vice president of marketing, said: “We know the planet is in crisis, and the window to keep temperature rise below 1.5 degrees and avoid the extinction of at-risk species is closing. But there is still time to reverse the path we are on if we act now, with the right conservation actions in the right places. Proceeds from Endangered Pieces will advance our ambitious plans to restore nature and safeguard wildlife. We are working hard to ensure that as this initiative grows, the number of pieces in each puzzle will grow as well.”
Ajaz Ahmed, AKQA CEO said: “The devastating decline and degeneration of biodiversity is a calamity that is not going to resolve itself. We are collectively responsible for this reckless environmental disaster where indifference is a fatal crime. If humans are the primary cause of destruction and loss, then humanity can be the facilitators of renewal and protection. No action is too small, and no action is too late. We are deeply grateful to everyone who supports WWF and the Endangered Pieces project to help reassemble and restore the natural world.”
WWF collaborated with leading agency AKQA to produce the concept and design for the puzzle, along with Kuhl & Han on visuals and films, and Jocelin Carmes on the artwork illustrations.
For imagery and video assets, please view here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Y3g4E0bBOibtCXVsS8aDXbJBLAssgenx?usp=sharing
For more information about Endangered Pieces and the conservation work it supports, please contact WWF-Canada communications specialist Stephanie Normandin: snormandin@wwfcanada.org
For more information about the puzzle concept and design, please contact AKQA: akqa@wordsandpixels.co
About WWF:
WWF-Canada is committed to equitable and effective conservation actions that restore nature, reverse wildlife loss and fight climate change. We draw on scientific analysis and Indigenous guidance to ensure all our efforts connect to a single goal: a future where wildlife, nature and people thrive. For more information visit wwfcastg.wwf.ca.
About AKQA:
AKQA is a design and innovation company that employs 2,200 professionals across 20 countries. Awarded the Cannes Lions Grand Prix for Design in 2021 and named by Gartner as one of the world’s leading marketing agencies in 2021. Winner of Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas in 2021 and recognized as a Fast Company Best Workplace for Innovators in 2020. Most recently, AKQA was awarded the Great Place to Work Certification.
About Kühl & Han
Kühl & Han is a Copenhagen based image making studio. With a background in contemporary design and cinematography, Kühl & Han aim to find beauty in the everyday. Exploring light and surfaces in new and unexpected ways, our studio operates at the convergence of lifestyle, fashion, and technology. Selected clients include Google, Nike, ASICS, Jordan, IKEA, H&M, HAY, SPACE10, RAINS, Norse Projects, Muuto, Reform and Arc’teryx.
