The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has secured a 5-Star Rating from Creative Effectiveness Platform System1 for its recent out-of-home (OOH) advert as part of its ‘Prescription for Nature’ campaign. The rating places the woodland-themed creative in the top 1% of charity advertisements ever tested by the platform, which evaluates long-term brand growth potential through emotional audience response.
System1’s Star Rating system, which assigns scores based on emotional engagement, categorizes results above 5.0 as “exceptional.” The WWF advert significantly outperformed the OOH sector average of 2.2 stars. Additionally, it achieved a Fast Fluency Rating of 71%, indicating nearly three-quarters of viewers recognized the WWF brand within two seconds—well above the 43% OOH average. Fast Fluency is critical for OOH campaigns, as audiences typically engage with these ads for just two seconds.
The advert’s success is attributed to its focus on evoking intense positive emotions, particularly happiness, which System1 links to sustained brand growth. Natural imagery, such as serene woodland scenes, proved central to this approach.
Andrew Tindall, SVP at System1, noted: “This ad demonstrates the power of positive feeling and consistency within a category focused on driving immediate response and donations. While charity ads often tap into negative emotions such as anger or sadness for short-term results, they are on average less effective at long-term brand building. Steering away from such category tropes is not only going to build brand equity for WWF, but it will be more memorable, as it goes against what audiences are used to and expect from charity advertising.”
Another WWF OOH creative from the same campaign, featuring a flock of ducklings, also scored highly with a 4.3-Star Rating. Tindall added: “What’s so clever about these adverts is that they prove their own point. Audiences notice the poster, see the beautiful wildlife and feel happy. It’s a wonderful way to showcase nature’s mood-boosting powers.”
The campaign’s emphasis on positivity aligns with WWF’s broader messaging. Lisa Lee, Executive Director of Brand, Campaigns and Communications at WWF, said: “Nature has the power to restore us if we help restore it in return. We’re thrilled to have achieved the maximum Star Rating from System1 and to see our Prescription for Nature campaign’s positive emotional impact. It’s exciting how our creative and strategic foundation has continued to grow through consistency, and we have big plans for its rollout this year to help everyone get their daily dose of nature.”
About System1
System1 is a Creative Effectiveness Platform that measures emotional engagement to predict commercial success for brands. Its Test Your Ad (TYA) solution evaluates short- and long-term ad potential, while Test Your Innovation (TYI) and Test Your Brand (TYB) assess idea viability and brand health impact. With a database of over 100,000 ads, System1 provides comparative insights and expert guidance to optimize creative effectiveness. Founded in 2000, the company operates globally across Europe, North America, Brazil, Singapore, and Australia. http://system1group.com/
