Ol Pejeta Conservancy has partnered with Tinder to launch a new campaign to raise awareness about Sudan, the World’s Most Eligible Bachelor. Sudan is the only remaining male northern white rhino on the planet. The goal of this campaign is to raise the $9 million needed to protect the northern white rhino from extinction. When Tinder users ‘swipe right’ on Sudan’s profile, they will be directed to a page (www.olpejetaconservancy.org/most-eligible-bachelor/) from which they can donate towards this cause. Sudan is not only The Most Eligible Bachelor, but he also boasts a pretty impressive profile. Not only is he a pretty fine specimen of a rhino, but he has his own personal team of armed bodyguards, and has appeared in a string of international documentaries and news stories. Sudan lives his bachelor life at Ol Pejeta Conservancy with his two female northern white rhino counterparts, Najin and Fatu. They have been unable to breed naturally due to a range of issues including old age. However, there are 17,000 other potential female southern white rhino suitors. The World’s Most Eligible Bachelor campaign, launched in April 2017, includes posters, print advertising, branded t-shirts, as well as a short documentary film.

“The plight that currently faces the northern white rhinos is a signal to the impact that humankind is having on many thousands of other species across the planet. Ultimately, the aim will be to reintroduce a viable population of northern white rhino back into the wild which is where their true value will be realized,” Said Richard Vigne, CEO, Ol Pejeta Conservancy.

“We partnered with Ol Pejeta conservancy to give the most eligible bachelor in the world a chance to meet his match,” said Matt David, Head of Communications and Marketing at Tinder. “We are optimistic given Sudan’s profile will be seen on Tinder in 190 countries and over 40 languages.”

“We are in a race. A race against the extinction of the northern white rhino species. We urgently need to raise awareness and funds for Sudan. No one could run this campaign better with us than Tinder. It will offer ‘the most eligible bachelor’ global exposure in such a meaningful way. We are honored and very proud to be part of this campaign that will have a positive impact on our environment,” said Mathieu Plassard, Regional Managing Director, Ogilvy Africa.

The funds raised will go towards ongoing research into Assisted Reproductive Techniques (ART) by a consortium of institutions. Once perfected, this technology, in particular in -vitro fertilization (IVF), will aid to achieve successful pregnancies to gradually build up a viable herd of northern white rhinos. If successful, this will be scientists will have carried out artificial reproduction in rhinos.

“This represents the last option to save the species after all previous breeding attempts proved futile,” said Vigne.

The research, which is currently ongoing in the United States, Germany and Japan, aims to establish a herd of 10 northern white rhinos after five years using in-vitro fertilization.

“Financial support remains the biggest challenge to this project. At 43 years, Sudan does not have much longer to live. To win this run against time it is very crucial to find major funds as quickly as possible, “said Steven Seet, Head of Press and Communications at the Leibniz-IZW who are part of the research consortium.

World’s Most Eligible Bachelor – Creative Background

Ogilvy Africa in Nairobi chose to look at the bright side of the rhino’s grim situation. Considering the fact that he has 7,000 females ready to carry his baby and he is literally “the last of his kind”, living on a picturesque 90,000-acre ranch under the protection of his personal team of military trained bodyguards, they decided to put his profile on Tinder and dub him “The World’s Most Eligible Bachelor.”

The results have been encouraging. The site crashed an hour after the launch of the campaign. There were 2 billion impressions in the UK in just week. 2 million people right swiped on Tinder.

World’s Most Eligible Bachelor Credits

The World’s Most Eligible Bachelor campaign was developed at Ogilvy Africa by regional creative director Joao Espirito Santo, group creative directors Alemu Emuron, Maxwell Ngari, Shashank Jha, creative partners Kwame Nyong’o and Robert Osano, regional managing director Mathieu Plassard, agency producer Heeral Gandhi, Ogilvy North America vice chairman Chris Wall, worldwide design director Sid Tomkins and designer Peter Hahn, account director Catherine Karongo and PR producer Naomi Mutua, working with Ol Pejeta Conservancy CEO Richard Vigne and marketing consultant Elodie Sampere, and Tinder director of international communications Agnes Gomes-Koizumi.

Programming was by Vimal Kaul and John Nguru.

Photography was by Churchill Oele. Filming was produced at Black Bean Productions by film director James Suter. Sound was designed at Supersonic Africa by sound engineer Sean Peevers, producer Thomas Kalume and project manager Muna Chuba.