together, we can help save the wye

Living by the River Wye, a site deemed to be of stunning natural beauty by Natural England, should be a dream - but thanks to sewage and agriculture pollution, that dream has become a nightmare. That’s why environmental law firm Leigh Day is bringing a collective legal action against the alleged polluters on behalf of the community and businesses impacted.

A legal action differs from a petition in two keys ways. Firstly, strict eligibility limitations mean only a few thousand individuals are eligible to join the claim, so our campaign has to be highly targeted. Secondly, it is a legal commitment with terms that must be adhered to and potential financial involvement.

Since 2023, I have worked with Leigh Day to build a recognisable and trustworthy campaign across digital and print that can communicate the complexities of the claim in a way that is still powerful and emotive.

Phase 1:
Make it feel real

Research showed that one of the key barriers to signups was scepticism toward the severity of the pollution. As such, our first port of call was to spend two days on the ground, capturing evidence of the damage and speaking to locals to better understand their concerns about both the pollution and the legal claim.

Phase 1 took a harsh, unflinching look at these uncomfortable images of destruction, forcing viewers to recognise the very real consequences of the pollution. This was paired with a powerful yet hopeful slogan: ‘Together, we can help save the Wye’ - a mantra that would go on to become the drumbeat at the heart of the claim.

Phase 2:
Make it feel local

Phase 1 saw signups increase, but we needed to cast our net wider. How could we reach the people who were unmoved by images of pollution - and how could be differentiate ourselves from any other environmental movement?

We needed to make it feel important to everyone that lived in the area, not just the environmentally-conscious. Phase 2 therefore pivoted around recognisable landmarks and landscapes that would bring the issue close to home.

We combined this with testimonials from locals that demonstrated how the pollution impacts people’s day-to-day lives, and statistics that put the damage into perspective.

Phase 3:
Make it feel friendly

Feedback told us that distrust had now become the primary barrier to sign-ups. Audiences were cautious of online scams, and Leigh Day lacked the recognition of a household name. To overcome this, we needed to foster a sense of collective credibility, positioning participation as a powerful act of strength in numbers.

Phase three therefore focused on amplifying the voices of real claimants. While testimonials had been used previously, we had not been able to secure permission to feature their images. This time, we prioritised reconnecting with participants and securing consent from those willing to speak openly and confidently about joining the claim, bringing crucial authenticity to the campaign.