PR > Sectors

WHY? WHY NOT?

GPY&R, Sydney / CLIMATE REALITY PROJECT / 2015

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Overview

Credits

OVERVIEW

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We created a campaign designed to make the preceding 2014 UN Climate Summit unlike any other global Summit before, by pressuring world leaders to commit to carbon reductions. Appealing to them as parents, not politicians.

So, we did something previously considered impossible – WE GOT KIDS INTO THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

And then we got them to do what kids do best - ask the question, ‘Why?’.

First, we launched a global invitation online.

Thousands of audition videos were uploaded by kids from 87 countries.

With some help from Vice President Al Gore, we picked the final 8 to be the voice of their generation and flew them to the UN.

To challenge the 160 world leaders assembled there with their provocative questions.

PR was vital to achieving our objectives of:

- Creating a groundswell among youth around the world during the recruitment phase.

- Taking ‘share of voice’ away from climate deniers at the time of the Summit.

- Effectively putting pressure on world leaders attending the Summit.

Despite minimal media spend and no ‘traditional’ media, the campaign attracted global media attention reaching 95 million people.

The recruitment and vlogger films reached 10 million views in the first 4 days.

The AskWhyWhyNot? landing page received more than 2 million clicks and the online activity, over 450 million impressions.

It armed a 400,000-strong rally that stretched 80 blocks of Manhattan.

And, most importantly, gave birth to an ideology of interrogation, directed at climate inaction.

ClientBriefOrObjective

The overall idea Why? Why Not? idea was informed by qualitative groups in the US and China. The idea, was well understood and provoked positive thought on climate change action, the exact response we needed from the world population in the broader campaign.

For PR the goal was simple.

· Through earned media drive awareness and encourage as many children from around the world to upload their video, to exert pressure on world leaders.

· Once uploaded the PR started showcasing the entrants and tracking their trip from their home countries to the UN in NYC.

Effectiveness

The campaign reached over 95 million people.

78 pieces of coverage were secured across broadcast, print and online media.

Highlights included an interview with Al Gore on USA Today and The Weather Channel. Broadcast interviews for the Brazilian winner with the major networks in Brazil: Globo, Band and SBT. A feature story on the Australian representative on top news site News.com.au, syndicated across 12 other News Corp publications.

The high number and quality of coverage achieved meant that we successfully raised the profile of the campaign.

The campaign climaxed at the Summit, when, for the first time, a voice from the world’s youth was presented to the General Assembly.

The campaign armed one of the world’s biggest climate marches, where our language was carried by 400,000 people who marched alongside UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, former Vice President Al Gore and UN Messenger of Peace - Jane Morris Goodall.

Execution

Limited budget, a short time frame and a complex ‘ask’ made execution challenging, but innovative.

Phase One

We used our unique video distribution platform on a global scale. It allows for the sharing of rich digital files to all media networks around the world.

Launching at 3am AEST, a media release, campaign visuals, and film with Al Gore, calling children to take part, was distributed.

Further video uploads were generated via outreach to local environmental organisations i.e: Greenpeace, to promote the competition via their social networks.

Phase Two

We partnered with key media in each winner’s country to document their journey from submission, to the UN Climate Summit in NYC.

Support from our US team included the mammoth challenge of securing coverage in overseas markets.

Using team members with international experience, pitching stories back into their home countries, securing coverage in new markets out of Sydney, including Botswana and Brazil.

Relevancy

There have been plenty of high-level global gatherings on climate change.

All of which have failed to illicit meaningful commitments to climate action.

And none of which have ever included those who will inherit the mess we leave – our kids.

The United Nations Climate Summit in September of 2014 presented a significant opportunity to do something that had never been done.

Capitalizing on the massive amount of PR already surrounding the event and creating even more PR of our own.

Turning the tables on climate change deniers who had the majority of voice in the media around the Summit.

Strategy

The strategy was not focused on developing a new set of creative concepts to drive editorial coverage, but creatively using the range of assets and stakeholders already at our disposal. These included:

A hard-hitting, emotive campaign able to cross geographic and cultural boundaries.

The supporters of the campaign – high profile Al Gore, The Climate Reality Project and the United Nations were integral to promoting the campaign and building credibility.

The opportunity for children in countries to play a role on the global stage at the United Nations.

Our audience was twofold - the world’s children and the world’s leaders, with a focus on the US.

World leaders needed to feel a new kind of pressure when deciding on their commitments to climate action.

The relationship of the audience with the Climate Reality Project wasn’t as important as it’s relationship with the issue of climate change and particularly climate action.

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