That's why we created the Extreme ID: an ID badge that is also a tool for exploring the world.

We studied their routines and needs to develop a product that could help make their jobs easier and to make them feel safer to explore further. This research guided our choices of 10 features to transform a simple ID in to a fundamental Explorer's item.

More than a mere identification, the Extreme ID is a powerful symbol that embodies what National Geographic is: a brand that believes the world was meant to be explored.

The Extreme ID has 10 different features that can help an Explorer on their daily tasks and if they ever face an emergency.

1. Built-in GPS with Panic button to be found when lost.

2. NFC chip with all their medical informations, in case of being found unconcious.

3. Eureka Button, a tool to save on a digital map interesting places to research later.

4. Flashlight.

5. Solar Panel to recharge the system.

6. Anti-Mosquito Button.

7. Chlorine Capsules to turn water into clean water.

8. The string is made of Paracord 550, a strong braided rope that can hold up to 550 pounds.

9. Flint to start a fire anywhere.

10. A whistle to be found in the woods

All this comes in a lightweighted package that can resist the extreme conditions that these Explorers face every day, distributed to 15 of our Explorers on Latin America. The development started on October 2017, and the first operational IDs were received on late February.

The ID was designed to highlight Nat Geo's famous Yellow Border, to be recognizable from any distance and to be a symbol of the work we have been doing for the last 130 years.

Our Explorers were fascinated with the news: the word quickly spread between them and the feedback couldn't be better. They felt remembered, safer and part of something bigger. A new batch of IDs are already under production. The idea is to expand the project for the next year, and we aim to cover our entire Latin America crew of Explorers very soon.

But most important: National Geographic's Yellow Border is now more than ever present on the fields, forests, caves and rivers, as a reminder of the brand's powerful connection with nature.

We wanted the Extreme ID to be National Geographic's first wearable, and a powerful tool to help our Explorers on their day-by-day tasks. We needed something to connect with them in a deeper level, as the ID is meant to be a symbol of the awesome things they're doing to the planet.

The Extreme ID was launched with an unboxing video strategy, presented by Andrés Ruzo, one of our most engaged explorers.

Nat Geo Explorers are a powerful asset of our brand, and to have them feel the need to wear our symbol wherever they go is an important way to take the brand further.

National Geographic Explorers is a group of researchers, biologists and conservationists committed to explore the world and to fight for preservation of endangered species and the planet. Despite the importance of their jobs, most people are oblivious to their existence and their researches.

That's why we wanted to create an identification badge for our Explorers, to make it easier for them to be recognized and, as they usually work on far away places, to make them feel part of our team.

However, as they work in the open wild, a regular ID Badge wouldn’t be of much use most of the time. We needed to create a way to turn a regular ID Badge in to something they could use on their daily routine and a symbol that could make them feel proud.