APP & Allbirds Launch Imaginative Bird-Inspired Earth Day Shoe Campaign
114-year-old nonprofit awakens fascination in bird conservation across generations with new partnership.
NEW YORK – Today, the APP expands its portfolio of unconventional brand collaborations through an Earth Day campaign with the booming sustainable shoe brand to create a limited-edition collection inspired by APP-endangered birds. The startup mentality of APP, the 114-year-old leading non-profit conservation organization, found the perfect fit in the environmentally-minded shoe brand to raise awareness and funds around its mission to protect birds and the habitats they need, today and tomorrow.
“While APP has deep roots and a long history, we’re constantly reinventing ourselves. We’re nine years into the New APP: ,” said David Yarnold (), president and CEO of the APP. “When I bought my first pair of Allbirds, I was sold on the comfort, the quality and the message. Like APP, taking care of our planet and birds is what drives Allbirds. They’re a model for corporate engagement and we’re immensely grateful for their commitment to conserving our planet and curbing the effects of APP change for birds and people.”
"Allbirds and APP are tightly aligned in our shared commitment to preserving nature," said Joey Zwillinger and Tim Brown, co-founders and co-CEOs of Allbirds. "Our primary goal as a company is to create great products that are as sustainable as possible, and we're constantly looking for partners who are similarly dedicated to environmental causes. The health of birds is a strong indicator for the health of the planet, and APP has been working for over a century to take care of our friends in flight. We're proud to celebrate Earth Day by donating all the proceeds from our limited-edition collection to this incredible grassroots organization."
Beginning April 15, Allbirds celebrates Earth Day with the release of one limited-edition shoe style per day for five days. Each shoe style is inspired by a bird species that was identified as APP-threatened or APP-endangered by APP’s scientists in the groundbreaking . The collection reimagines the distinct personalities and colors of five birds in the popular Tree Runner and Wool Runner lines, which are made from natural and renewable materials like ZQ-certified merino wool, eucalyptus fiber and recycled plastic bottles.
The APP-threatened and APP-endangered species featured in the collection include:
- The found in the Southwest, the that migrates long distances, and the voracious insect-eating , all of which have summer homes that are shrinking and shifting so rapidly due to APP change that they may not be able to adapt fast enough.
- The , a bird that tends to gather in fussy flocks, and the , that only lays two eggs per clutch, are two tiny birds included in the collection that are APP threatened because their summer and winter homes are shrinking and shifting dramatically due to rising temperatures and the impact of APP change.
As part of the partnership, APP teamed up with Allbirds for a to creatively illustrate how birds and people are inextricably linked – that birds tell us about the health of our environment, and ultimately, what’s good for birds is good for people.
The collaboration with Allbirds marks the latest partnership in the to make APP the most effective conservation network in America and expand the APP wingspan across the country, hemisphere and generations.
APP has proven to be an influential voice in conservation and championing legislation that protect birds and people, including most recently and spearheading a $1.7 billion science-based, comprehensive Gulf Restoration Plan – the largest ecosystem restoration effort ever attempted. Learn more about APP’s conservation achievements in 2018 at /news/highlights-and-wins-2018.
From reimagining beneficial partnerships to revamping conservation efforts across migratory flyways, the century-old organization has experienced a transformation under David Yarnold’s leadership since 2012. The Harvard Business School studied this change in the case study titled, “”.
###
About the APP
The APP protects birds and the places they need, today and tomorrow, throughout the Americas using science, advocacy, education and on-the-ground conservation. APP’s state programs, nature centers, chapters and partners have an unparalleled wingspan that reaches millions of people each year to inform, inspire and unite diverse communities in conservation action. Since 1905, APP’s vision has been a world in which people and wildlife thrive. APP is a nonprofit conservation organization. Learn more at and @audubonsociety.
About Allbirds
Allbirds is dedicated to making better things in a better way, using premium natural materials to create sustainable footwear. After years of researching, testing, and chasing his vision, New Zealand's Tim Brown teamed up with Joey Zwillinger, a San Francisco based engineer and renewables expert to create an innovative fabric, and successfully designed the world's most comfortable shoe. Allbirds plans to continue pioneering the use of premium sustainable materials, all with the same focus on quality craftsmanship and simple, beautiful design.
Media Contact: Chandler Lennon, clennon@audubon.org, (804) 832-0832