Anyone who’s ever let their lawn go to seed knows that wildflowers are the foundation of a complex ecosystem. Left alone, grasslands support insect, bird and rodent populations, as well as the majestic predators and megafauna that areas like the Great Plains are famous for.

A new campaign from Air Wick, which uses wildflower fragrances in its scents, touts the benefits of native flora and encourages viewers to plant just a single square foot of wildflowers as part of an effort to reseed 1 billion square feet in partnership with the World Wildlife Fund.

A colorful stop-motion video from Havas New York and Blink Ink (the London animation studio behind John Lewis’ “The Bear & the Hare” and Harvey Nichols’ “Shoplifters”) makes use of recycled papers, natural paints and other environmentally friendly materials to illustrate a tale of a land reclaimed. The spot required hundreds of thousands of individual shots, 200 hours of set design, 150 hours of paper folding, 100 hours of shooting and 25 puppets.

“To create a vibrant world and showcase this message, we knew we couldn’t rely on stock footage or be restricted by the COVID-19 production challenges that come with a traditional shoot," said Pam Kim, executive creative director at Havas New York, in a statement. "Animation felt like an obvious answer." Stop-motion, she added, helped ensure it would feel more natural.

Creatures portrayed in the film represent animals from the Northern Great Plains, where Air Wick and WWF are focusing their efforts. The campaign “will drive meaningful change to protect nature, and encourage the public to join in and do their part to restore one of the critical components that nature needs to survive by planting wildflowers native to their community,” said Chris Tedesco, CMO, Hygiene at Reckitt Benckiser.