The Ecuadorian Amazon is burning. Deforestation, oil extraction, and violence against those defending the environment are ravaging the region, particularly in the provinces of Sucumbíos, Orellana, and Napo.

Amid this crisis, nine young activists rise up to protect their families and communities from the devastating impacts of the oil flares, fire monsters that pollute the jungle and threaten the health of its inhabitants.

Colmena Lab has joined Amnesty International to create the "Guerreras por la Amazonía" campaign, which aims to amplify the struggle of these brave women who have been defending their families and communities since they were just girls.

Our Approach

The strategic focus of this campaign centers on amplifying the voices and empowering young activists through the co-creation of a visual strategy for digital media.

This strategic approach aims at transformative activism, where young activists are not only participants but active creators of their own message, projecting their cause autonomously and effectively. It included three key pillars:

• Powerful Brand Identity and Visibility: Colmena Lab builds a strong brand to amplify the visibility of activists through digital tools and impactful narratives, strengthening the legitimacy of their struggle.

• Co-creation and Empowerment: The campaign incorporates the activists' aspirations into their own brand, empowering them to create and share content that mobilizes a global audience. This strengthens their leadership and authenticity in the narrative.

• Communication as Social Change: Colmena Lab focuses on ensuring that the activists' voices create real impact by designing tools that enable them to manage their communication and produce content independently, promoting sustainable change in their environment.

The project delivered a robust and adaptable brand, specifically designed for the activists to use easily and create visually powerful content. Key outcomes include:

1. Engagement

   1. The project maintained close collaboration with the activists, who were actively involved in every phase of the process. 

   2. From selecting color palettes and fonts to creating patterns and visual symbols, the activists contributed their ideas and personal visions, ensuring that the brand reflected their identities and aspirations. 

   3. This participatory approach not only fostered a sense of belonging but also strengthened their commitment to the campaign and its message.

   4. Additionally, the brand's flexibility on platforms like Canva allows the activists to creatively interact with the visual elements, freely combine them, and personalize their content.

      
      

2. Identity

   1. Complete Brand Manual: Includes styles, color palette, fonts, and visual elements selected in collaboration with the activists.  

   2. Custom Graphic Elements: Design of graphics inspired by natural elements of the Amazon.  

   3. Representation of the "fire monster": Creation of a powerful image of the oil flares as a fire monster, based on the activists' ideas and using artificial intelligence and professional illustration techniques.

      
      

3. Co-creation Tools

   • Canva Setup: The brand was set up in Canva, making it easy for the activists to create their own content while ensuring access to all design tools.

   • Dynamic and Mobile Templates: Carousel templates, posters, GIFs, videos, and stories allow the activists to freely mix visual elements, using their creativity to produce impactful and unique content.

Explore the Guerreras por la Amazonía Brand Manual.