The “Protect Orcas!” bilingual Canadian limited-edition soap label

Dr. Bronner’s, the family-owned maker of the top-selling natural brand of soaps in North America, has launched a new, limited-edition label of its 946ml (32oz) Castile Liquid Soaps in Canada, with the message ‘Protect Orcas!’ to promote the documentary film, Coextinction. A presenting partner of the film, Dr. Bronner’s has created its first-ever limited-edition advocacy soap label for the Canadian market to further raise awareness about the film and its call-to-action. Among its messaging, the ‘Protect Orcas!’ label calls upon consumers to take action on four key issues to prevent the extinction of the Southern Resident Orcas: Support Indigenous Sovereignty; End Open Net Salmon Farming; Remove Obsolete Dams; and Stop Fossil Fuel Pipelines.

“Coextinction is strongly aligned with Dr. Bronner’s guiding Cosmic Principle ‘Treat the Earth Like Home,’ and addresses multiple issues that we are concerned about as a company from protecting animals and ocean wildlife to respecting Indigenous rights, promoting social justice, and practicing environmental stewardship,” says Michael Bronner, President of Dr. Bronner’s. “Coextinction is breathtaking and provides a necessary and urgent call to action! There is still time for us to protect this threatened ecosystem and show that we have the will to not only protect the orcas, but also to save ourselves in the face of the vast climate crisis. We are proud to leverage our reach and brand recognition to engage the public on the issues raised in this remarkable film,” Bronner continued.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phtDEvl63vc

In Canada, Dr. Bronner’s is promoting Coextinction under the All-One International Initiative, namely the All-One Canada chapter. The initiative seeks to support mission aligned activism in the markets outside the U.S. where Dr. Bronner’s sells its products. The All-One International Initiative and Dr. Bronner’s support for Coextinction are both anchored by the company’s commitment to social justice, environmental stewardship, and animal advocacy.

A profound award-winning documentary on the extinction crisis, Coextinction debuted at film festivals in 2021, and has received critical acclaim at screenings worldwide. Dr. Bronner’s has helped fund the impact production of the film and partnered with the filmmakers to promote educational events, screenings, and advocacy work to inspire viewers to take bold action for climate and social justice. Filmed throughout the coastal watersheds of the Pacific Northwest, including the Salish Sea and along the Broughton Archipelago which are traditional territories of the Musgamagw Dzawada’enuxw, ‘Namgis, Tsleil-Waututh and other Nations, Coextinction documents the plight of the Southern Resident Orcas, of which less than 75 are alive today.

Through powerful storytelling and breathtaking cinematography, the filmmakers take the viewer on a journey to understand the causes of the orcas’ population decline. Their findings reveal how the orcas’ endangerment is fundamentally tied to the collapse of wild salmon populations and centuries of injustice against Indigenous peoples.

“Our film, Coextinction, is not just about telling the orcas’ story, the film is about looking at the bigger picture and the interconnections of multiple crises. That’s what is going to protect the Southern Resident Orcas, and not just the orcas, but us as well,” said Gloria Pancrazi, co-director of Coextinction. “With the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion scheduled for completion this year in 2023, the urgent message to ‘Protect the orcas and save ourselves!’ is more pressing than ever before. This partnership with Dr. Bronner’s is helping us bring this message and impact campaign to a much larger audience, which is instrumental to creating real systemic change.”

Since 2013, Dr. Bronner’s has donated an estimated $4 million to support efforts to protect farmed animals and ocean wildlife. The company contributed $40,000 USD (approximately $50,000 CAD) from its animal advocacy philanthropy budget in 2022 to support the impact production of Coextinction. Furthermore, Dr. Bronner’s also supports myriad organizations that seek to dismantle industrialized chemical-intensive agriculture models and confined animal feeding operations. This work is interconnected with ocean conservation efforts, as animal waste and chemical runoff from these systems have devastating impacts on both freshwater and ocean ecosystems.

A visually stunning experience, Coextinction has been critically acclaimed and was awarded the Rob Stewart Eco Warrior Award at Vancouver International Film festival (2021); winner of the People’s Choice Award at the Planet In Focus International Environmental Film Festival (2021); winner of the Environment Award at the International Ocean Film Festival (2022); winner of the Audience Choice Award at the Seoul International Eco Film Festival; and winner of Best Documentary Film, Best Original Score, and Best Aerial Cinematography at Los Angeles Cinematography Awards (2022).