M&C Saatchi Group’s film and television production studio THIS. has revealed its first major project, a two-part documentary series in partnership with National Geographic, Cisco Systems, Canon Australia and Land Rover South Africa.
The documentary series, hosted by cricket legend Kevin Pietersen and outback wrangler Matt Wright with conservationist and Canon Australia Photographer, Julia Wheeler, will follow efforts to save the critically endangered rhinoceros whose population is now hovering below 25,000.
Presently, three rhinos are killed every day and if this continues, the animal will be extinct by 2025, a sobering fact to consider on September 22, World Rhino Day.
An avid conservationist, Kevin Pietersen is eager to share this story with the world.
“I’m beyond excited to get involved with this project. I’m deeply committed to saving the rhino and by highlighting its plight and the work being done to stop poachers, we can make a real difference in the lives of these majestic creatures,” he said.
The real stars of the documentary, though, are two orphaned rhinos, Summer and Arthur who lost their mother to poachers earlier this year.
These two calves represent the dire circumstances affecting the species.
Former South African cricket captain and fellow rhino conservationist Graeme Smith will join the team on the ground.
The documentary shot entirely on Canon equipment in South Africa, will showcase efforts being taken to save the rhinos, including using innovative, world-class technology. Cisco Systems, Inc. and partner companies are driving these efforts.
Cisco chief of staff to the CEO Ruba Borno said: “At Cisco, we believe technology is key to solving some of the world’s greatest problems; our vision is to eradicate poaching through continued innovation in technology to conserve endangered species.
“We are excited to be a part of this documentary to share how Cisco is working with conservation and technology partners, like Dimension Data, to save rhinos from extinction. We hope this project will give people hope and inspire them to participate in these critical efforts for our planet.”
The goal of the groundbreaking solutions is to pave the way for a brighter future.
Cisco Alliance: Dimension Data group executive Doc Watson said: “Our solution, Connected Conservation, is a proactive solution that tracks the movement of people and leaves the animals unharmed.
“We have created a safe haven for rhinos to roam freely, without human interference. In our first year of operation, the solution reduced poaching by 96 per cent in the pilot reserve.”
The two-part series will air in Australia, New Zealand, the UK and South Africa in the lead up to the World Cup of Cricket in 2019.
THIS. Film Studio’s Taylor Steele, who will be directing the documentary said: “We can’t wait to get back to Kruger National Park and start shooting this important documentary which has only been made possible with the support of our partners.”
THIS. Film Studio co-founder Michael Lawrence said: “While this project has an incredibly important goal – to help save the rhino – from a creative perspective, it demonstrates the changing intersection of brands, storytelling and distribution highlighting how brands can align with causes in a genuine way.”
