As the Wallabies crash in the Rugby World Cup in France, an advertising industry collective highlighted another battle – to stop fossil fuel sponsorships.
The team of horrifying zombies, The Dead Wallabies, held a press conference at Federal Parliament House and starred in a humours short film to protest the national rugby team being sponsored by gas company, Santos.
The Dead Wallabies was in support of the Fossil Ad Ban campaign which calls for tobacco-style restrictions on advertising and sponsorships by coal, oil and gas because of their climate and health impacts.
The Dead Wallabies is a collaboration between communications industry collective, Comms Declare, and climate activist organisation, Rouser. Comms Declare members Alchemy One supported the project with a pro bono digital campaign and FIfty Acres did the publicity.
Comms Declare represents hundreds of communications professionals, agencies and organisations who have declared they will not promote the growth of fossil fuels, high greenhouse gas pollution as ‘business as usual’ and deception, distraction or spin around science or climate actions.
Santos sponsors the men’s and women’s Australian rugby teams as well as the Queensland Reds, NSW Waratahs, Western Force, Australian Women’s Sevens and the Santos Festival of Rugby.
The Dead Wallabies press conference was covered across Sky News, Ten, Seven and Nine Newspapers.
Comms Declare founder, Belinda Noble, stated, “This collaboration demonstrates how the combined efforts of people across the ad industry can change the conversation around the terrifying role of fossil fuels in global warming.”
“You don’t need to eat brains to know that oil and gas companies like Santos are sponsoring sports to delay climate action and ethical agencies are increasingly stepping up to say ‘we need to be the solution, not the problem’.”
Rob Beamish, founder of Rouser, added, “Fossil fuel sponsorship and advertising is insidious. It’s a manipulative tactic that props up fossil fuel companies’ social licence and delays urgent, drastic climate action at such a critical time.”
The World Cup is sponsored by TotalEnergies, which is the subject of a campaign by Greenpeace.
Credits
Client: Comms Declare
Creative: Rouser
Film Production: Rouser
Director: Rob Beamish, Rouser
Producer: Cory Mulroney
Cinematographer: Shyam Ediriweera
Special Effects: Make-up Effects Group
Editor: Marty Gilchrist, Puffin Post
Sound: Squeak E. Clean
Colourist: Sam McCarthy @ Crayon
