Animal Planet, India’s number 1 wildlife channel that immerses viewers in entire spectrum of life in the animal kingdom with high quality content, has adopted a new brand philosophy ‘Humans Like Us’. For more than 20 years in India, Animal Planet has carried programming from every corner of the world capturing the beauty and splendor of the animal kingdom. As a part of the new brand purpose, Animal Planet will sharpen focus on stories linked to animal conservation as it aims to awaken viewers to the need for animal welfare and conservation. The channel will dial-up the ‘Human Connect’ further with thought-provoking and entertaining storytelling that emerges from the fascinating intersection of the animal, human and natural worlds.
The Animal Planet’s refresh campaign comes on the heels of weeks of domination in the infotainment genre in India. Animal Planet has clearly established itself as India’s no 1 wildlife brand with 15% share, second only to Discovery channel’s 23% share*. Animal Planet’s endearing campaign will go-air starting August 15, 2018.
Animal Planet has in the past brought to the fore fragile state of animals with initiatives such as Mission Big Cats which aimed at sensitizing people about the need for tiger conservation. The channel documented the undeniable bonds that is forged between the animals and the courageous men and women who protect and save them with the recent premiere of Dodo Heroes. This series featured inspiring stories of animals from around the world in dire need, and those who go to unimaginable lengths to help them.
“Animal Planet’s mission is to celebrate & explore our vital, enriching and ultimately humanizing connection with the animal world. We are part of the animal kingdom and share behavioral traits with animals in the same way they share behavioral traits with us,” said, Zulfia Waris, Vice President, Premium & Digital networks, Discovery Communications India. “The creative strategy behind the bold new identity is to bring the human like us brand promise to life, observing how animal behavior often reflects human behavior, providing an entertaining insight into the nature of our programmes, which are about people as much as animals.”
The channel drives the brand proposition forward with its inspiring line-up of programming starting with a new anthology of shows ‘The Red List: Save the Wild’ which premiers on August 15, 2018.
The new anthology will focus on the trials and tribulations of endangered species across the world as they are confronted with myriad threats to their survival – from habitat degradation to climate change. The anthology will include shows like:
On the Brink: The show explores species and habitats rarely seen on Indian television earlier. In the 8-part series shot across the country, Malaika Vaz, wildlife presenter and adventure sportswoman, journeys through the sub-continent, immersing herself in the most incredible landscapes and habitats in the country and coming eye to eye with the rarely spotted animals that live here.
Extinct or Alive: Forrest Gallante, a wildlife biologist, scours the globe using cutting edge technology on his mission to find species that the world has stopped looking for; seeking out evidence and eyewitnesses to track and bring back to life creatures mistakenly labeled as extinct
Tales From Rhino Land: A documentary on India’s Kaziranga National Park capturing India’s magnificent BIG FIVE wild animals in one frame- the last surviving population of eastern swamp deer, Asiatic elephants, wild buffalos, tiger and rhinoceros.
Wild Brazil – The Land Of Fire And Flood: In the wildest country on earth, survival is a battle between nature’s most powerful forces-The Fire and the Floods. In these seasonal extremes, some of the world’s biggest, strangest and most dangerous creatures are forced together. As Fires rage across Brazil’s Wild Heart, top predators like Jaguar, Caiman and Maned Wolves reign supreme.
Life At The Limits: This spectacular three-part series presents extreme habitats all around the globe. Meet the resident species that are pushed to the limits to survive, follow their lives and see their fascinating solutions. Because in the end, it all comes down to evolution’s hard truth: adapt or die.
Hotspots: A five-part series which explores five of the most representative hotspots in the world. Hotspots are highly threatened border territories spread across the globe rich in biodiversity.
World of the Wild: A special series focusing on Deserts’ life – dry, arid landscapes, environments of intense sun, heat and very little rain. An extreme climate and an extreme environment where wild life has had to adapt to survive.
*Source BARC, TG: India (Urban) 2+, Wk 1-29’18 Average