In 2013 Pentagram designed World Wildlife, the new flagship publication for World Wildlife Fund (WWF) based in Washington DC. WWF—the group with the iconic panda logo—is the world’s leading conservation organization. WWF works in 100 countries and is supported by 1.2 million members in the United States and close to 5 million around the world. WWF’s unique way of working combines global reach with a foundation in science, involves action at every level from local to international, and ensures the delivery of innovative solutions that meet the needs of both people and nature.
In 2015 WWF asked Pentagram to redesign their gift catalogue, WWF's annual fundraising effort. In addition to gifts like T-shirts and tote bags, WWF supporters are given the opportunity to make symbolic adoptions of wildlife around the world, and based on the level of their donations receive a formal adoption certificate, a species spotlight card, a full-color photo and a soft plush representation of the animal, or animals, they care about. The donations generated by the catalog are used in general support of WWF’s conservation efforts around the world.
In addition to changing the catalog’s masthead logo from "Gift Catalog" to the more branded moniker WWFGifts, the designers, working with Robyn Fuller and her colleagues at WWF, completely reimagined the publication and designed two smaller “digest” versions. For the cover the Pentagram team developed a unique format that features a wild animal photographed in a studio against a distinctive, jewel-toned backdrop. The winter 2014-2015 launch issue of the redesign features a portrait of an African black-footed penguin, also known as a “Jackass Penguin” for its donkey-like bray, photographed by Austin-based photographer Randal Ford. Ford, who shot the winsome dairy cow portraits for Pentagram's acclaimed covers of Dairy Today magazine, will continue to photograph the covers of WWFGifts moving forward.
The layout of the catalog, which is organized by geographical regions like the Arctic, North America, Africa and Asia, and conservation efforts like climate change and wildlife crime, were reworked to infuse each spread with a more pronounced visual hierarchy. The Pentagram team also borrowed a few signature typefaces and graphic elements from their design of World Wildlife, so the catalog and flagship magazine appear to be in the same WWF "publication family." Like World Wildlife, the catalog features WWF staff stories of conservation efforts and opportunities–as well as ideas and tips for positive change for the planet. WWF President and CEO Carter Roberts says this in the foreword of WWFGifts:
“When the world’s first national park was created in 1872, the very notion was outlandish: setting aside enormous swaths of land purely for the sake of protecting it? But of course today, parks are embedded in the fabric of communities the world over, and they are an indispensable conservation tool. At WWF, we have aided in the creation of many parks. But once a park is created, the work is really just beginning—often the biggest hurdle to climb is making sure the park is completely and consistently funded. And of course our most important and valued source of comprehensive funding for projects like this around the world comes from you. We remind ourselves every day that WWF is only as effective as the generosity of our friends and supporters allows us to be.”
