CHARLOTTE, N.C. (January 14, 2025) — What would Charlotte be without its trees? That provocative question became the heart of a bold public awareness campaign launched on behalf of TreesCharlotte by SPARK Strategic Ideas (SPARK) in partnership with Imperative Partners (Imperative). Designed to feel familiar, witty, and deeply local, the “Charlotte Without Trees?” campaign reframed a critical issue into something personal and tangible.
Faced with declining public awareness and an urban canopy disappearing at alarming rates, the campaign “Charlotte Without Trees?” brought the issue into focus using humor, heart and hyperlocal creativity. Through clever taglines like “Charlotte Without Trees? That’s like BBQ without the slaw,” the campaign tapped into the Queen City’s culture, connecting tree canopy loss to things residents know and love.
The campaign’s goal was to move beyond data and make people feel the absence of trees in their daily lives, sparking a sense of responsibility and hope. “We wanted to make the campaign accessible and relatable,” said Anne Marie Holder, CEO of SPARK Strategic Ideas. “By putting trees into everyday conversations, we helped people feel more connected to TreesCharlotte’s cause.”
To maximize reach and engagement, SPARK’s creative team crafted a multi-channel approach to make the message resonate across the city’s many communities. At the heart of the campaign was a microsite that served as the digital hub for education and action. With tailored pledge paths designed for homeowners, renters, students and business owners, the site guided visitors through simple, personalized steps they could take to protect Charlotte’s urban forest. Each pledge track included educational resources and follow-up touchpoints to keep users engaged beyond their initial commitment, leading to more than 500 completed pledges and a 63% increase in new web visitors.
Guerrilla marketing took the message across the Charlotte area. From stump signs with messages like “It’d be a lot cooler if the rest of the tree was here” to banners with educational facts wrapped around more than 500 live trees, the campaign turned sidewalks, parks and neighborhoods into interactive awareness zones. A digital billboard truck drove the message home at sports and cultural events, while videos and ads on social media brought a flood of new attention online.
“The physical installations and mobile ads were conversation starters,” Holder added. “They made the invisible visible and turned everyday spaces into awareness zones. Seeing a stump with a sign about what we’ve lost—that hits home.”
The campaign’s grassroots strength came from meaningful partnerships across the community. SPARK, Imperative and TreesCharlotte collaborated with local institutions including UNC Charlotte, Johnson C. Smith University, Charlotte Douglas International Airport, Mecklenburg County Parks & Recreation, Charlotte Ballet, Mint Museum, and the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, placing tree banners, hosting activations and amplifying the message through co-branded content. Seven neighborhood associations also participated, spreading awareness through localized signage and social media engagement, reaching nearly 100,000 residents.
Smart branding with SEO-conscious digital outreach, a little humor and a lot of community pride were key to the campaign’s success. TreesCharlotte reported a record-breaking number of tree adoptions during the 2024 season. Backed by a deep understanding of Charlotte’s culture and a commitment to protecting its future, the “Charlotte Without Trees?” campaign showed how thoughtful, creative work can spark meaningful change, one tree at a time.
