Not-for-profit Evergreen is calling on environmentally-conscious city dwellers, letting them know that they can be the root of a movement that helps bring a bit of green into Canada’s concrete jungles. The ultimate goal is to grow a sustainable society where individuals live in harmony with their local environment.

To help bring that vision to fruition, Evergreen, which is based in Toronto, recently launched a new call-to-action campaign, cultivated pro bono by Toronto-based Zig. Print ads with the tagline ‘Be the Root’ are appearing in Canadian Gardening magazine (media was donated) and depict trees with the upside-down heads of people forming their base, wisps of their mussed-up hair emulating roots. The creative encourages urbanites to visit Evergreen.ca to sign up and access resources that empower them to advance the charity’s cause in their respective communities.

‘[Evergreen] wanted this series of print ads to be very blunt and transparent about what we’re asking people to do’ explains Zig ECD Martin Beauvais. ‘[The creative team] worked really hard at making the visuals very clear that each human being can be the root of a more livable, enjoyable, beautiful city.’

The campaign branches out with posters this month, and PSAs, currently in development, are set to roll out this summer. The agency’s ‘Be the Root’ visuals will provide the thematic base of Evergreen’s communications going forward.

The creds:

advertiser: Evergreen

agency: Zig

ECD: Martin Beauvais

AD: Mark Puchala

copywriter: Geoff Morgan

planner: James Powell

team leader/agency producer: Christine Harron

print producers: Jen Dark, Darcy Paniccia

photographer: Matt Barnes, Westside Studios

film houses: 247 Integrated, Zig

retouchers: Matt Barnes, Jeremy Thompson