PPK’s creative team has long partnered with Big Cat Rescue to craft campaigns that combine emotional storytelling with striking visuals, and their latest work continues that legacy. Their “Separated” poster, a Platinum winner in the 2026 Graphis Advertising Awards, exemplifies this approach, building on prior award-winning work for the same account to spotlight the urgent issue of Colorado’s Prop 127 and the protection of wild mountain lions.

By Michael Schillig, Creative Director/Copywriter, PPK

Through this project we wanted to help nonprofits, Big Cat Rescue and Cats Aren’t Trophies, raise awareness about a critical initiative on the Nov. 5th Colorado Election Ballot called Prop 127. Our ultimate goal was to get people to vote YES to banning the cruel recreational trophy hunting and brutal killing of native mountain lions, bobcats and lynx that occurs each year.

This truly became the “mother” of all issues for us. Especially when we learned that nearly half of the mountain lions that are killed are females, who often leave behind helpless cubs that will likely freeze or starve to death without their mom’s care.

The Heartfelt Idea
We felt a responsibility to communicate this reality in a deeply emotional way that viewers couldn’t help but notice and feel. So, we put ourselves in the mindset of a mother mountain lion and imagined everything from her perspective. And that’s what ultimately spurred the idea of showing a mother mountain lion trophy head displayed on the wall with a subtle teardrop coming down from her glass eye, as we convey in copy her sadness in realizing that her cubs would not survive without her.

Armed with this creative idea and some provocative headlines that would pay off everything, we still had some important details to work out regarding the layout, since creating a teardrop on the furry face of a mountain lion is a lot easier said than done. Just ask my art director/creative director partner on the project, Javier Quintana.

The Dramatic Image
Javi did not use AI since he wanted the teardrop to be very genuine and authentic and instead chose to craft it from scratch in photoshop. The challenge for him was to design a teardrop that was see-through on fur and still had texture, highlights and shadows. He then tied the creative together by crafting the headline on a plaque that went with the wall hanging trophy head. We ultimately designed three posters, each with a different mother mountain lion trophy head display and compelling headline.

The emotional, thought-provoking image and theme were liked so much by the client that we went way beyond our initial assignment of creating some posters and digital ads. In addition, we developed a powerful social video that ends with a three-dimensional teardrop coming down from the eye of the mother mountain lion trophy head. Plus, we produced two equally attention-getting radio spots devised around a similar premise.

The Impactful Results
Our goal was to make voters aware of this vital issue and to get this ballot initiative (Prop 127) passed in Colorado. We won over 60% of the vote in those areas where our advertising was heard and seen. But ultimately, the measure did not quite pass due in large part to opposition hunting organizations who spent nearly $1.9 million to defeat it.
Yet, even on our shoe-string budget, we were able to tearfully touch, educate and effect change in multiple districts across Colorado, paving the way for continued debate on this issue and future success in years to come.

It was very rewarding to work on this campaign for our long-time client, Big Cat Rescue, and to continue to support their mission of safeguarding the world’s exotic wildcat species – both in captivity and in their natural habitats. Additionally, we were extremely thrilled and honored to win three top Platinum Awards in the 2026 Graphis Advertising Awards competition for our “Separated” poster, “Head Of Family” poster and “Trophy Head Teardrop” video that were all part of this campaign.

Credits:
Agency Owner/CEO: Tom Kenney
President: Garrett Garcia
Executive Creative Director: Paul Prato
Creative Director: Michael Schillig
Copywriter: Michael Schillig
Creative Director: Javier Quintana
Art Director: Javier Quintana
Art Director: Pierre Ducilon
Lead Animator: Jason McTeague
Senior Animator: Emilio Lopez
Executive Director, Production & Post Production: Lauren Antonucci
Post Production Supervisor: Christopher Fenech
Audio Engineer/Sound Design: Roger Hughes
Voice Talent: Ceara Metayer

About PPK

PPK’s Platinum-winning creative team of Javier Quintana (left) and Michael Schillig (right) have been with PPK for 17 and 20 years, respectively. They are very passionate about animals and get the most satisfaction out of helping nonprofit organizations, like Big Cat Rescue. PPK itself was established in 2004 in Tampa, FL and is one of the Southeast’s most decorated independent advertising agencies. They were founded on the belief that sound, strategic creative strategy and communications plans coupled with true partnership and client collaboration will always deliver results. So regardless of the category or brand, PPK helps businesses overcome any challenge and takes them to another level.

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