WORLD UNDER WATER

Short List
TitleWORLD UNDER WATER
BrandCARBONSTORY
Product / ServiceSOCIAL PLATFORM FOR REDUCING CARBON FOOTPRINT
CategoryB05. Fundraising, charities, appeals, non-profit organisations, public health & safety, public awareness
EntrantBBDO PROXIMITY SINGAPORE, SINGAPORE
Entrant Company BBDO PROXIMITY SINGAPORE, SINGAPORE
Advertising Agency BBDO PROXIMITY SINGAPORE, SINGAPORE
Media Agency MEC Singapore, SINGAPORE
Production Company ICEBERG DESIGN Singapore, SINGAPORE

Credits

Name Company Position
Ronald Ng BBDO Proximity Singapore Chief Creative Officer
Melanie Clancy BBDO Proximity Singapore Creative Director
Carola Gerlach Carbonstory LLP Creative Director
Laurent Thevenet BBDO Proximity Singapore Technical Director
Tristan Soriaga BBDO Proximity Singapore Web Developer
Alfred Tan BBDO Proximity Singapore Web Developer
Aimee Sohn BBDO Proximity Singapore Web Developer
Timothy Vazquez BBDO Proximity Singapore Web Developer
Gary Lim BBDO Proximity Singapore Art Director
Shum Qi Hao BBDO Proximity Singapore Art Director
Savio Fonseca BBDO Proximity Singapore Art Director
Nikhil Panjwani BBDO Proximity Singapore Copywriter
Melanie Clancy BBDO Proximity Singapore Copywriter
Firrdaus Yusoff BBDO Proximity Singapore Copywriter
Nicolyn Marino BBDO Proximity Singapore Project Manager
Denise Loke/Ann May Chua BBDO Proximity Singapore Agency Producers
Fiona Huang BBDO Proximity Singapore Account Manager
Bryan Goh BBDO Proximity Singapore Planner
Samantha Strauss BBDO Asia Regional Communications Director
Harriet Flory/Roy Elvove BBDO Worldwide (New York) Global Communications Directors

The Brief

Carbon Story, an organisation that helps people offset their carbon footprint, wanted to raise awareness about the devastating effects of climate change and inspire global citizens to play a part in supporting green causes. But the grim reality was this – most people simply don't relate to this issue because it seems far from their everyday reality. So 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.

Creative Execution

A creative mashup of Google API and WebGL enabled us to connect with people on the most personal way possible by empowering them to submerge and share the locations of their choosing. This innovative approach also created the most realistic effects available. Activists swiftly submerged the White House. Producers for TV shows sunk their own studios. Thousands submerged their workplaces. Brands even got involved.Thousands of the world’s most iconic landmarks were quickly under water. This personalisation empowered our audience to curate their message while enabling us to show the world that rising sea levels can affect everyone, everywhere.

Describe the creative solution to the brief/objective.

It was an online experience. But more than that, worldunderwater.org was a warning sign that combined Web GL and Google Street View to show the world under water. Users could type any location – their home, work, any place that’s important and see 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 and every shared image a personalised experience. But it wasn’t just about awareness. Users could take action by calculating and offsetting their carbon footprint by supporting a green project.

Results

In the first week alone, 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 – helping to offset over 250 tonnes of carbon in the first month after launch.