The Campaign

In Singapore, branded content is growing – however it is still in its infancy. Sometimes it fails to interest the target audience or create relevance to the brand. And it doesn’t always hit a nerve on a personal level. World Under Water is a hugely popular, and highly personalised user-generated content campaign. It brings the threat of rising sea levels right to your doorstep in the most personal way possible. Users can share their own selected underwater locations with their friends on social media – their first home, their work, any place that’s important to them – almost anywhere over the globe.

Results

The real issue Experts predict sea levels could rise by up to 6 ft in the next 100 years. Carbon Story, an organisation that helps people offset their carbon footprint, wanted to raise awareness about the devastating effects of climate change. Trouble is, most people don't relate to this issue because it seems far from their everyday reality. Before we could raise awareness, we first needed to change people’s perceptions about climate change. To open their eyes, we brought the threat of rising sea levels right to their doorstep. Our approach More than a website, worldunderwater.org was a warning sign that combined Web GL and Google Street View to show the world around them or any street they’re familiar with, suddenly under water. Users could type any location in the world, even their home address, and see first-hand the catastrophic effects of climate change. They could then spread the word by sharing their generated underwater locations with friends on social media. This made every visit a personalized experience for the user. But it wasn’t just about awareness. Users could also take action by calculating carbon footprint, and offsetting the amount by supporting a green project.

The ability to key in ANY address (available on Google Street View) proved to be a big hit. It meant that our diverse audience could find clever and impactful destinations to submerge. Activists swiftly submerged the White House and other buildings. Thousands submerged their workplaces. Schools were submerged, and the site found its way into the classroom. Journalists and producers for some of the world’s most respected shows submerged their studios (Amanpour, Fox News, and others.) Countless people submerged iconic landmarks. And brands got into the action too. This personalisation empowered audiences to choose HOW our message got driven home.

In the first week alone, we had global traction. In seven days, the site reached 213 countries and achieved 201 million media impressions. In one month, the website had 823,781 unique visitors who spent an average of 1.6 minutes on the site, generating 891,680 locations. The project was covered by CNN, Fox News, BBC, Huffington Post, Mashable and countless local news stations and websites around the world. This invaluable awareness brought the critical issue of climate change to the masses. More importantly, thousands became part of the solution by submerging and sharing their chosen destinations with their own rallying cry and by helping to offset over 250 tonnes of carbon in the first month after launch.