In an age where screens compete fiercely for kids’ attention, getting them outdoors can feel like an uphill battle. Enter Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) and their inspiring Generation Wild initiative—a movement designed to reconnect children with nature through meaningful action. Instead of asking kids to simply “disconnect” from technology, the campaign, created by Sukle Advertising, gave them a mission: help save the declining Western bumblebee population by planting native wildflowers. Through the creation of “Wilderflowers” seed packets and a statewide giveaway, thousands of Colorado families got outside, spreading millions of seeds and cultivating a deeper bond with the environment. This is more than just a campaign—it’s a grassroots movement turning screen time into green time.

By: Mike Sukle, CCO, Sukle Advertising

Today’s kids spend so little time outdoors that there’s officially a name for it: nature-deficit disorder. But Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) is working to combat that with Generation Wild, a movement designed to get kids outside and reconnect with nature. To support their mission, we were tasked with engaging families across Colorado, encouraging them to get outdoors and interact with nature.

The forces pulling kids to the couch—and tethering them to screens—are getting stronger and stronger. How does a small organization compete with mega video game companies, 24/7 streaming entertainment, and the constant pull of social media?

Our approach: Don’t make it about disconnecting from tech. Instead, give kids a reason to be outside. An activity. More specifically, a mission.

A recent study revealed the Western bumblebee population has declined by 72 percent in Colorado. And 20 percent of all bumblebee species are now at risk of extinction due in part to shrinking habitats. Kids could help, though—they just needed the tools.

So, we created a new product and brand from the ground up: Wilderflowers—native wildflower seeds specifically designed to be Colorado pollinator magnets and named after Generation Wild’s spokescreature, Wilder. Then, we set out to encourage kids to help save the bees by giving away packets of the seeds across the state.

The integrated campaign featured billboards with messages created from the packet art, directing families to the website, where they could find local seed pickup locations. Point-of-sale displays, digital content, social media, and theater-screened videos also got the state buzzing (sorry—we had to).

One hundred thousand free packets of Wilderflowers were distributed across Colorado at public libraries, in neighborhood Little Free Libraries, and through community partners, including the Children’s Museum of Denver, Denver Parks and Recreation, the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, and Generation Wild coalitions.

Over 240 partners across Colorado signed up to help distribute free seeds. The campaign garnered 67 million impressions, and visits to GenerationWild.com were up 98 percent year over year. Notably, 99 percent of those visitors were new to the site.

Most importantly, Colorado’s kids worked to save the bees by spreading over 53 million Wilderflower seeds across the state—all while getting outside and reconnecting with the natural world.

Sukle Advertising is a force for change. As an independent, creatively led agency built to solve interesting challenges, it believes that creativity fused with substance generates positive change and impressive results. Sukle builds brands from the ground up and reinvigorates existing ones; launches new products and attracts new consumers; and creates social movements that change perspectives and shape positive behaviors. For almost 30 years, Sukle has partnered with brands and organizations across the United States to use creativity to accelerate change in the sustainability, health, food and beverage, technology, financial, social good, and outdoor industry sectors. Its work has been recognized by the Clio Awards, the Obie Awards, the One Show, the Mercury Radio Awards, the American Advertising Awards, and even Guinness World Records.

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