Greatest Hits: Follow the Frog Week Roundup

We wanted this year’s Follow the Frog Week to be bigger and better than our first one, which was last year. The evidence is in, and it looks like we accomplished our goals.

Celebrities Asked Their Friends and Fans to Follow the Frog

• Actor and environmental advocate Leonardo DiCaprio tweeted about our hilarious video and posted the link on Facebook, adding “Want to save the rainforest? Don’t do what this guy did.”
• Writer, actor and comedian Stephen Fry tweeted, “Do #followthefrog this week and enjoy this deliciously funny eco activism film from @RnfrstAlliance.”
• Actress Alyssa Milano reached out to her 2.25 million Twitter followers to say “Follow the Frog.”
• Swoozie – a YouTube blogger whose “Textually Active” video has been viewed 4.5 million times – told his followers: “I laughed way more than I expected to on this. Great editing guys!”
• Michael Pollan, author of In Defense of Food and The Omnivore’s Dilemma, tweeted, “Check out this terrific, funny viral video for Rainforest Alliance.”
• Susan Orlean, who penned The Orchid Thief, posted the link to Facebook with the caption: “Wonderful way to be a good citizen. And have fun. And save the world. (What more could you ask for?)”
  

  The tweet heard ’round the world.

We Asked You to Watch and Share Our Video – And You Did!

• Nearly 71,000 people viewed our Follow the Frog Week video on YouTube within just one week!
• 180 people commented on the video on YouTube, and another 1,793 “liked” it.
• YouTube highlighted the video on its Twitter feed, saying “You don’t have to travel to Nicaragua to save the rainforest. @RnfrstAlliance shows you how.”
  

  A tweet from YouTube.

Consumers Voted with Their Dollars

• Our limited-edition Follow the Frog Week t-shirts – made by our friends at SelflessTee – were a hit. You bought nearly 200 shirts and hoodies, and helped to raise more than $1300 for the Rainforest Alliance!
• You shopped the frog, choosing Rainforest Alliance Certified products and Rainforest Alliance Verified tour packages.
• You donated to the Rainforest Alliance, and took advantage of our special membership offer.
  

  You shopped for Follow the Frog Week tees and helped us to exceed our $1,000 fundraising goal!

Companies Showed Their Support

• Tetley Tea, Zavida Coffee, Yogi Tea, La Colombe Torrefaction, Ducale Coffee and Lucienne’s showed their support by hosting Follow the Frog Week events and contests, and offering discounts on Rainforest Alliance Certified goodies.
• A host of travel companies and hotels – including Hands Up Holidays, Adventuras Tierra Verdes, il Viaggio, Travel Excellence, Valle Dorado Tours, Latin American Escapes, Jetair and Holiday Inn – offered discounts on Rainforest Alliance Verified tour packages and hosted special events.
• A number of  companies – including Lipton and PG tips tea, Magnum ice cream, Kenco coffee, Dove Chocolate, Dagoba chocolate, Costa Coffee, Gloria Jean’s Coffees, Endangered Species Chocolate, Reunion Island Coffee, Betty’s & Taylors, Tea Pigs, Timothy’s Coffee and Merlo Coffee – took to their Facebook and Twitter pages to spread the word about Follow the Frog Week.
  

  Our friends in NYC stopped by La Colombe’s mobile cafe for free Rainforest Alliance Certified coffee during Follow the Frog Week.

Thanks so much for following the frog with us — we are already looking forward to Follow the Frog Week 2013!