TBWA\MELBOURNE TEAMS WITH THE UNITED NATIONS TO GREET GRETA THUNBERG INTO NEW YORK AHEAD OF GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE ACTION SUMMIT
Global creative agency TBWA has joined forces with the United Nations and other partners to welcome Swedish climate change activist and noble prize nominee Greta Thunberg, 16, to New York City ahead of the Climate Change Action Summit in September.
Thunberg’s sailboat was greeted and escorted into New York by 17 sailboats, each representing one of the 17 Global Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) featured on its sail. The SDGs were agreed to by all Member States of the United Nations in 2015 as global blueprint for dignity, peace and prosperity for people and the planet. Now and into the future.
The SDG Flotilla met Thunberg at the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge and sailed alongside the Malizia II to North Cove Harbor in honour of her quest to raise awareness and support for Climate Action, as well as the other 16 Goals.
In acknowledgement of the welcoming fleet @GretaThunberg tweeted;” The @UN has sent out one boat for each of the 17 sustainable development goal to greet us! Thank you!
In the spirit of SDG 17 Partnership for the Goals; TBWA\Melbourne partnered with many across the global creative community to bring the project to life, including Project Everyone, Freuds and Sinclair Social, who all rallied to galvanise around this moment, with support from TBWA\Chiat\Day in New York. UK Sailmakers, Portchester, NY and GT3 Creative created the custom sails.
Says Kimberlee Wells, CEO, TBWA\Melbourne and Adelaide: Greta Thunberg’s passion and promise to fight climate change presented a powerful platform to create further awareness of the Sustainable Development Goals, as we move closer to the 2030 deadline. Whilst progress has been made, few countries are on track to achieve the targets. Australia and America included.”
Says Paul Reardon, chief creative officer, TBWA\Melbourne and Adelaide: “The Sustainable Development Goals logo is printed on the main sail of Greta’s ship. Yet many people still don’t have a full understanding of the goals and the issues they cover. There were a lot of obstacles to overcome, but we’ve been overwhelmed by the reaction from Greta, the team onboard the Malizia II and the broader sailing community. It’s been a truly global effort – spanning Melbourne, New York, San Francisco, Rome, London and of course The Atlantic.”
The Flotilla is led by Captain Nitzan Levy of Sailors NYC and Deputy Captain Barbara Marcoz, U.N. employee and member of North Cove Sailing Club. It comprised 17 vessels provided by local New York City sailing clubs including North Cove Sailing, Hudson River Community Sailing, Hoboken Sailing Club, Sailors NYC and New City Kids.
The Flotilla will be streamed live across Facebook and activated across numerous social media channels using #sdgflotilla. Digital advertising supporting each of the SDG’s will also roll out across numerous sites in the lead up to the UNGA high level week, kicking off on 23 September.
In a further display of partnership with the United Nations, TBWA\ Melbourne & Adelaide’s chief executive officer, Kimberlee Wells and her creative partner, chief creative officer, Paul Reardon have been invited to speak at the SDG Action Zone, part of United Nations General Assembly, on ‘Connecting the world’s brands with the world’s Goals’.
Photo credit: Zach Hilty/BFA
22 Comments
Love this girl!
I don’t get it. What have TBWA done that’s so great, except putting their name to it.
The SDG Flotilla of 17 boats with custom sails.
Wow!
1. What creative idea are TBWA MELBOURNE talking about?
2. Which bit did they do?
Asking for a friend.
Sad times when TBWA print other people’s goals on sails and PR it.
Isn’t that a job for Wellcom?
Go Wiktor you mad Viking!
“The Sustainable Development Goals logo is printed on the main sail of Greta’s ship. Yet many people still don’t have a full understanding of the goals and the issues they cover.”
So you wrote them on sails and put them out at sea?
In the meantime the majority of TBWA Melbourne staff still drive to work when the train and tram are within 3 minutes walk from the agency.
I’m sure the case study will look amazing
What exactly did TBWA do? I’ve read the media release twice and I’m still in the dark. Was it their idea to get Greta Thunberg to speak at the UN? Did TBWA come up with the 17 sustainability goals? Or did TBWA design the sails for the 17 boats. I honestly can’t tell.
“Who cares if it makes sense, or if we even did anything! Just say that we did great stuff in the press release and that makes it all true!”
Without TBWA\Melbourne = just my boat. With TBWA\Melbourne = my boat plus 17 others — one for each SDG goal. Geddit?
The very definition of advertising bullshit. I love it.
So it’s not just me.
This agency hasn’t produced an idea that didn’t borrow interest from someone actually sacrificing in a decade. You people are the problem with advertising. This isn’t creative work. It’s creative appropriation which makes you no better than a forged designer hand bag.
This is hypocritical garbage. Does the team sail between their twin jobs at Melbourne and Adelaide? Or cycle? It’s jumping on the frigging bandwagon. Have they done it for a client? If so, what have they done? This seems to be just a press release. Why would I want to hear TBWA speak about SDG? I’m sure they care more about profit.
The case study will be amazing. TBWA saves the world etc etc etc
That’s the pressure of being part of a global network. You have to hit your Cannes quota or you’re looking over your shoulder. In this case, shoulders. This feels like a desperate attempt to win awards yet do nothing meaningful for the ‘client’. Sadly, this is the type of shit that is increasingly successful at Cannes. Congratulations to all involved.
I don’t get it? whats the idea? printed on a sail?
So I guess if we’re looking at this then we aren’t looking at the SA Tourism catastrophe.
“TBWA\MELBOURNE TEAMS WITH THE UNITED NATIONS” to put some logos on a few sails