MANILA – Last June 14, before the premiere of Finding Dory, Bates CHI & Partners launched #DefendDory in cooperation with the Best Alternatives movement which encourages sustainable seafood and aquarium fish alternatives.
After the 2003 release of Finding Nemo, clownfish sales increased by 40%, and unfortunately, most died in the hands of inexperienced pet owners. With Finding Dory’s premiere, a campaign was needed to prevent this from happening to the Regal Tang fish (Dory) which is even harder to take care of.
“Defend Dory is about uniting people to protect her,” says Noah Valdez, ECD of Bates CHI & Partners. “She needs to stay in the sea where she belongs.”
To support the cause, people changed their profile photos and shared article links with friends, family and fellow environmentalists. Within the first two days, the campaign was featured in The Philippine Inquirer, Rappler, When in Manila and were shared by various environmental groups and even dive resorts.
“We are about partnerships,” Leah Magdaluyo, General Manager of Bates CHI & Partners says. “Through the Defend Dory campaign, we can all be partners in protecting the environment.”
