Denmark’s sea is dying. Toxic waste and fertilisers from the agriculture sector are suffocating fish and plants, making the country’s sea among the deadest in the world. Recognising the urgency, creative agency &Co. / NoA, Greenpeace, a Christian priest, and the Danish Sport Fishing Association decided there was only one thing to do: Give it a funeral. They partners have held a funeral for Vejle Fjord.  The initiative aims to spotlight the crisis and resurrect political action so life can once again return.

In a symbolic gesture, a segment of Denmark’s sea was laid to rest in a transparent glass coffin, inviting citizens and politicians to witness the crisis of the depth.

Over a thousand “relatives” gathered on Saturday in Vejle, western Denmark, to mourn the fjord, with the event being live broadcasted by the two biggest national TV broadcasters to the entire nation.

The campaign ignited public debate two weeks before the event, starting with a death notice for Vejle Fjord on the front page of national paper, Politiken, and several local dailies. This bold move led to online debate and numerous media invitations and features, including national TV and radio appearances, allowing the team to amplify their message.

“We hope the funeral can help forge an emotional connection to the dying sea in Denmark. It’s an elusive crisis because it happens beneath the surface, but here fish and plants are suffocating. The most important message, however, is that life can return if there is mobilised political will and action. So that’s ultimately what we hope to achieve by laying Vejle Fjord to rest in peace,” the &Co. / NoA team stated.

The campaign also various elements to resonate with the public. Alongside the specially designed glass coffin and death notice, an obituary by renowned Danish author Carsten Jensen appeared in newspapers. Additionally, the team crafted a gravestone, designed unique labels for a wake beer, a casket spray made of seaweed, and organised heartfelt speeches and hymns by relatives at the funeral.

“In the last year, we saw a shift in the way the problem is talked about. From being about struggling inland waters, suffering from oxygen depletion, to being articulated as dead. That observation sparked the creative idea. Suddenly we could work with death as a phenomenon and use funeral rituals as campaign assets. That gave us a lot of creative possibilities and inspiration,” the &Co. / NoA team explained.

“We have worked a lot with the local sea crisis and its link to Denmark’s intensive agriculture, and were ideating on our next campaign and aimed to spotlight Denmark’s dead sea. So, &Co.’s idea to carry out a real funeral for Vejle Fjord came like a gift from heaven. To drive change and engage more people in the most pressing issues, we need more than indignation. We need to show visions, grief, hope, and humour. The funeral for Vejle Fjord embodies all these elements,” stated Christian Fromberg, Greenpeace campaign leader for agriculture, nature, and forestry.

The funeral campaign has received extensive attention across both Danish and international media, drawing significant political focus. Notably, several politicians, including Martin Lidegaard, the leader of the Social Liberal Party, were present at the funeral. In a symbolic pledge, Lidegaard vowed to bring a jar filled with water from Vejle Fjord into every political negotiation around environment and agriculture moving forward, emphasising the fjord’s plight.