Australian Youth Climate Coalition hijacks news feeds of climate sceptics in ‘NewsJacker’ campaign via Clemenger BBDO
The Australian Youth Climate Coalition (AYCC) has launched a new campaign ‘NewsJacker’ via Clemenger BBDO, to highlight the rising scepticism towards climate change as a result of online misinformation and algorithmic echo chambers.
NewsJacker, is a provocative website that arms the younger generation with a tool to break climate sceptics out of their misinformation echo chambers.
On the surface, NewsJacker appears to be a simple homemade cookie recipe. However, when someone is sent this cookie recipe, on opening, specially designed technology built into the site updates their online cookies and prompts the internet to think they care about the climate. Because of this, they will immediately begin receiving factually accurate news stories about climate change.
Says Rich Williams, executive creative director at Clemenger BBDO: “NewsJacker was inspired by the alarming statistic that 42% of Australians express scepticism towards climate change, a direct result from the information they’re receiving through digital media and algorithms.”
Given the role of digital media and news publications on climate change scepticism, there was a deliberate decision to partner with a youth-focused, independent publisher who embodied the ethos of NewsJacker.
Says Crystal Andrews, founder of youth publication and media partner Zee Feed: “The single-sided sharing of news is not a new issue within media publishing. Online algorithms have simply exacerbated the problem, shielding sections of society from the information they need to hear most.”
The AYCC, whose mission is to build a movement of young people leading solutions to the climate crisis, want to highlight the very real dangers of misinformation.
Says Grace Vegesana, climate and racial justice director at AYCC: “Echo chambers are a serious and dangerous problem, leading to inaction. Young people in Australia want to make a difference; NewsJacker gives them this chance – a chance to challenge the thinking of the people around them and bring attention to a conversation that can be difficult to start.”
The campaign is live now across owned, social and earned media.
For more information, please visit newsjacker.org
Client: Australian Youth Climate Coalition
Media Partner: Zee Feed
Creative Agency: Clemenger BBDO
56 Comments
Really like this.
Awesome idea. Well done.
this is one very confused idea
brilliant
Really dig this. Clever!!
Who’s to say the woman in the explainer isn’t the one living in the bubble?
They’re sending their team. No Cannes for you!
Here comes the Clem’s astroturfing again.
This is sick. I made the cookie recipe and they where a little sweet tho.
Good to hear from the “climate and racial justice director”. Sounds like something out of 1984.
So the strategy is to switch skeptics by hacking their search and algorithms? To feed them news deemed real and accurate, by the people these skeptics thing are dangerous wackos peddling mis-information?
Or is the strategy to win some trophies?
“Echo chambers are a serious and dangerous problem” So let’s trick outsiders with no-no thoughts into joining our approved thinking.
Very interested to understand how this actually works? Will it show you targeted ads? I am unaware of a mechanic that would allow a cookie to change the content on any new site.
Can the team please share some examples of what this will actually show someone who has been sent this link?
Leading the blind.
It’s a simple tongue in cheek idea to keep people focused on the issue. But after watching this clip maybe climate change is not a problem: https://youtu.be/fF0hcsMVDx0
@@wut https://oneminutecookie.com/
Echo chambers and Clems. Perfect pairing.
What’s to stop the other side using this in reverse? And not just climate skeptics – pro lifers, far right political parties etc. You’re basically sending people a virus – surely there are more ethical ways to change people’s minds?
This whole thing is Orwellian. Gross.
So, so troubling
Looks like you need to install this cookie thing on your blog. Whole lot of unbelievers in here.
2023. As a lifelong Leftie I never in a million years thought I’d be agreeing with Andrew Bolt and Piers Morgan yet here we are.
Agree with many of the comments above. Imagine if this was the other side of the debate doing this. Ultimately though it feels like award bait that won’t actually work.
This is not that great, obvious with the credit listing of nobody at all, bravo!
I don’t think this will work. Plus every climate change sceptic I know has shares in coal, so they don’t care as long as they’re making money.
You are familiar with how paid media for campaigns works right? .. it’s a good idea for an important topic. It’s also no different from putting ads in front of people. If you have a problem with this campaign, you probably have a problem with advertising.
Thank you for linking that video of an atmospheric physicist discussing climate change. Hard to find a more qualified expert in the field to add to the notes from a 23-year old “climate and racial justice director”.
So many boomers in here warming the planet with their cooked heads. Jealous much? Lol
There’s a bigger issue here, maybe you’ll get there. Good luck.
so who built this specially designed technology – some hacker. What else does this specially designed technology do if you are stupid enough to click on the link?
Dangerous times we live in and Clems should be more responsible.
don’t read the news on social media – go to a responsible news site.
How does the code work?
What happens?
When i accept the cookies on the cookie site, it automatically injects code that says i look at pro-global warming sites?
Then because of that i get served more pro-global warming stuff on insta? Or where?
WOW the wheels have really fallen off. Stick to what Clems have been great at, not this divisive bullshit. When does your vote yes campaign come out? I hope this gets fuck all traction and lots of backfire.
Deliberately ‘Hijacking’ people’s phone data so it manipulates the information they’re exposed to, is not the same thing as buying media
What a complicated way of saying you’re going to target climate skeptics with content that will attempt to change their views. Kind of like how I get served oat milk ads as a passionate cow milker. This is so convoluted it needs an explainer video and to be honest I even think that explainer video could do with an explainer video.
How about you actually consider that EVERYTHING you read and see is peddled by opinionated news folk and outlets with agendas – if you still trust everything, including advertising you’re living in a silo.
Best to steer clear and not align to causes like this. It’s also not going to convince anyone who is a sceptic, just piss them off more.
This is great. Nothing immoral about this at all. The science is settled. It’s unscientific to question things. We should all fall in line with sanctioned information. Like Galileo did. And the people who burned witches. Top stuff.
When you try to enforce opposing views or trick people into them, it will likely end in the opposite result you’re working towards. Have we lost the ability for an open forum debate and discussion?
Yeah it’s divisive. But it seems like that’s the point? I think young people will like this idea. It’s cheeky AF.
Isn’t BBDO the network that does all the ExxonMobil work? Please someone tell me I’m wrong!
It gets the people going.
The only thing more confounding than this idea is how many commenters here obviously don’t believe that climate change is real.
It’s so damn easy to spot the Clem’s astroturfing praising their own work using Reddit-tier language and zoomer insults. “Cheeky AF”.
All you need to do is look at the conversation that’s here — well done to Clems and the AYCC.
It’s almost like this idea has triggered a discussion about issues on climate change.
You’re probably also the kind that believes any press is good press. Are you Joe Rogan?
I can, at the same time, believe in climate change and the need to convince people of it, and think this idea is problematic and convoluted
The conversation here is about the ethics of your method, not the issue itself.
for if you live in any of these areas:
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/aug/23/australian-bushfire-season-how-to-prepare
This will clean up the planet and clean up at every award show. Sry for all the industry salt, tho. Boomers be fuming.
Where is it going to serve them these ‘articles’? In the fine print on the site it says they’ll be served ad content for a week. I hope it’s on facebook or social because that’s the echo chamber these people get their info in. If not, this is a bigger hoax… than climate change /s
So many landlord tears in the comments. Yikes!
If you think this will clean up at award shows you’re have never really won at award shows. But stay optimistic out there fam!
What do u even mean?
On their social feeds. We all know how cookies work by now right?
Great. Fascism in advertising.