Calling all agencies; have your work featured at Cannes Lions 2018 part of Project Extraordinary
WWF New Zealand and WiLD Studios have today issued a challenge to creative agencies all over the globe to become part of Project Extraordinary, a collaboration that aims to give sustainability an irresistible appeal among consumers, for the chance to have their work shown at the Cannes Lions 2018.
The challenge: develop a short-form video concept that demonstrates how sustainability is desirable and sexy. 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.
The competition, which closes at 5pm GMT Thursday, 12 April, 2018 (3am AEST 13th April 2018) will be judged by a distinguished jury comprising 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 the three Highly Commended 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, 19 June, 2018 in the Grand Auditorium Louis Lumière at Cannes Lions 2018.
Project Extraordinary is a competition that will see one creative agency potentially make history. The challenge invites creative minds globally to develop a short-form video concept that demonstrates how sustainability is desirable, and sexy, to encourage 1 billion consumers globally to make ≥ 50% of their purchases based on sustainability as one of the top 3 decision triggers by 2020.
Says Carolyn Managh, executive producer, WiLD Studios: “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.”
Says Marco Lambertini, director-general, WWF International: “We know what we need to do; the science is there. 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.”
Says Livia Esterhazy, CEO, WWF-New Zealand: “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. Part of the problem is a colossal disconnect between sustainable values people have and their purchase behaviours. Only a small percentage of the world’s consumers are purist sustainable lifers. The rest of us are perhaps best classified as sustainable “life-stylers” at varying levels of commitment. If we don’t act now, next generations may well be living on one big rubbish heap for a planet.
Says Dr. Alaa Murabit, UN high level commissioner and SDG global ambassador: “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.”
Entry is now open.