Background

In 2020, as the global pandemic held the world firmly in its grip, international relations came under mounting pressure. In the midst of such crisis, the United Nations called for collective actions worldwide, in particular among youth, to focus on the world’s development issues facing us all. In this context, the UN has entered into a strategic partnership with Tencent. Throughout Tencent’s online platforms with over a billion connected users, the UN aimed to reach out to Chinese youth, raising their awareness and sparking discussion on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the coming decade.

Describe the creative idea

It’s not rare to use music with lyrics for delivering a message in an animation, however, it’s an unusual approach for the Chinese viewers who have been used to receiving information by over-emphasizing voice over and subtitles. This original music plays a balancing role to fit in this situation. Since the song is not particularly composed to serve the purpose, it creates an appropriate space for viewers to experience the whole journey with the characters without being over interference. It further elaborates the animation to a music video, perfectly blending the visuals with a deeper touch. After the official release, the music even goes viral in QQ music platform by ranking top in the search list.

Describe the strategy

Through means of creative communication, we aim to speak to the public using sweet and touching storytelling to illustrate the importance of environmental protection, a task widely seen by many as one of the priorities under SDGs. The story unfolds with the trusting friendship between the Whale and the Penguin, a character inspired by Tencent’s brand mascot. As the unexpected turn comes at the end, however, it invites viewers to give environmental issues a rethink, while expertly embedding the brand image of Tencent. Though at a loss, viewers would also find it a thought-provoking story. We then launched the subsequent youth dialogue event across various platforms, where young minds were encouraged to join for discussion. These activities called for youth to think creatively to make a difference in future. “How to deliver SDGs with better actions in the next decade?”

Describe the execution

The short film generated much attention and discussion following its release on WeChat. During this time, we initiated the dialogue event through our online meeting platform to encourage young participants to make their own proposals. The event, also known as “Chinese Youth Dialogue on the Future”, culminated when Youth Representatives engaged with 11 UN Representatives in live dialogue sessions. In order to reach out for wider audiences, the event was also live-streamed and had in total 13 million viewers following. It successfully added the voices of Chinese youth to the 2030 Agenda for SGDs during the pandemic.

Describe the outcome

The short film totaled 40 million+ online views, and was recommended by the UN on the front page of its official site. Thanks to its promotion, over 700,000 young participants signed up for the “Chinese Youth Dialogue on the Future”. The film was also chosen as one of September’s global top 5 by Adforum, a leading site in the creative industry.