WWF New Zealand and WiLD Studios have issued a challenge to creative agencies all over the globe to develop a short-form video concept that demonstrates how sustainability is desirable and sexy.
The competition is part of their inaugural Project Extraordinary, a collaboration between WiLD Studios, the short-film division of awarded international documentary filmmakers, NHNZ – Natural History NZ, and WWF-New Zealand, which is spearheading the project on behalf of WWF Global.
The collaboration aims to give sustainability an irresistible appeal among consumers and includes a chance to have your work shown at the Cannes Lions 2018.
The objective of the content is to change the behaviour of 1 billion consumers globally by encouraging them to make more than 50% of their purchases with sustainability as one of their top 3 decision triggers by 2020.
Experts estimate that only 1% of the materials used to produce consumer goods are still in use six months after sale.
Carolyn Managh, WiLD Studios executive producer explained, “This is a history-making opportunity for a creative agency. To go beyond the documentary format typically applied to this topic and find a sexy and relevant way to reinvent the way sustainability is pitched to global consumers is clearly no small feat. This is why we’ve opened the challenge up to the best creative minds around the world.”
“We know what we need to do. The science is there,” added Marco Lambertini, director-general WWF International. “The challenge is to make sustainability of our planet desirable. Inspirational. Let’s get personal and real. We need to stop talking in generalities and show every consumer in every corner of the globe exactly how they can be part of the solution.”
The competition, which closes at 5pm GMT Thursday, April 12, 2018 (AEST: April 13 2018 3am) will be judged by a jury made up of the who’s who of conservation and blue-chip brands that are aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Three concepts will be shortlisted as highly commended and will then be produced in full by WiLD Studios in collaboration with the respective agencies. The winner of The Extraordinary Award will be chosen from these three films, by Marco Lambertini and the panel members of the How to Make Sustainability Sexy forum. The winning film will premiere at this forum on Tuesday, June 19, 2018 in the Grand Auditorium Louis Lumière at Cannes Lions 2018.
Livia Esterhazy, WWF-New Zealand chief executive officer, noted, “When I worked in the advertising world, it constantly surprised and inspired me how creatives approached a problem and developed ideas to solve them. The degradation of our planet is the single-most pressing problem facing our very existence. This project is a bold idea to harness creative power globally to help build a future where people live in harmony with nature.”
The ever-growing world of mass production and a throwaway or worse single-use culture is producing a mother-lode of environmental and humanitarian problems. Most people support sustainability initiatives in principle, but not in practice. If we don’t act now, next generations may well be living on one big rubbish heap for a planet.
“It’s not enough to have global leaders, corporates and NGOs committed to addressing the devastating impact our ecosystems and wildlife are facing. Billions of consumers must start changing their actions and purchases to shift the needle. Innovative platforms like Project Extraordinary are the kind of inspiration the world needs to change how history will depict us,” stated Dr. Alaa Murabit, UN high level commissioner and Sustainable Development Goals global ambassador.
The competition is open for entry here.
