As a farmer-owned co-op, Land O’Lakes is involved at every point of our food system – from growing crops to feeding animals to making its famous butter. This gives the company a unique perspective on the challenges and opportunities our food system faces. It also bestows on us a powerful responsibility to help evolve it so our planet and population can thrive. To accomplish our task, Land O’Lakes needed people to understand the situation, be aware of the company’s work and become part of the solution.

And with 2019 culture being what it is, we knew we had to create an experience that was informative and Instagrammable, challenging and rewarding. Our audience doesn’t want information pushed to them. They want to be invited to follow their curiosity, discover new experiences and satisfy their hunger for information.

Paradigms were meant to be shifted. And The Copernicus Project was designed and built to change the way people perceive and interact with our food system. It showed that humans are no longer on top of the food chain, we’re in the middle of an interconnected food web full of factors that need our help to thrive. Our creative had to clear people’s minds, challenge their points of view and introduce new ideas about our food system. To do so, we had to find ways to educate, engage and inspire. So we brought back someone who already fundamentally changed the way people think: Nicolaus Copernicus. He rearranged how humans saw the universe, and by invoking his spirit, we intended to do the same for food.

We set out to create a fully transparent brand experience. Every piece of creative was made to be tangible and compelling proof that Land O’Lakes is a thought leader in the food space with nearly a century of expertise across the farmer to fork spectrum. Our PR strategy considered every detail of The Copernicus Project’s ability to spread our message and engage a growing audience without sacrificing authenticity. It all started with social content that exposed truths and got people in the right frame of mind. Paid media helped increase our reach. The activation itself was crafted to be vibrant and share-worthy from the outside in. Each installation was interactive and Instagrammable. Our partnership with The Washington Post Brand Studio provided access to national-level experts and personalities, each with their own built-in following.

The Copernicus Project took place in the middle of SXSW. We created an immersive experience by completely redesigning the venue to include vibrant patterns, colors and provocative copy. Four interactive installations taught visitors about issues our food system is facing.

The Beautiful Food Web

A gigantic food web showed that humans are not at the top of the food chain; they’re part of a complicated web dependent on interconnected factors.

The Measure of Now

Visitors created a piece of art with colored string by sharing their opinions about food and technology.

Nanotech, Huge Impact

Visitors learned about the impact nanotechnology has on our food system by taking on the role of a nanoparticle and sliding into an avocado-shaped ball pit to deposit a “micronutrient.”

The Truth About Biodiversity

Visitors were surrounded by tall high-definition screens and treated to an animated story about biodiversity and why it’s so important to protect.

• 84% positive sentiment about Land O’Lakes

• 318+ million earned impressions

• 5,830 visitors (over 3 days)

• 57 minute average dwell time

• 250+ global news stories