Greenpeace wants leaders to go the distance

If you've been tuning into the Paris Olympics over the last couple of weeks you'll have seen long distance runners from across the globe pushing physical and mental boundaries in a bid for glory. 

In this new spot for Greenpeace we are also placed into a race scenario but, this time, the prize isn't an Olympic medal but a treaty that will cut plastic production and end single-use plastic.

Created by socially-led creative agency We Are Social and directed by Jon E Price through We Are Social Studios, the campaign draws attention to the Global Plastics Treaty negotiations taking place in South Korea in November this year. This meeting is the final of five planned gatherings, making it critical that world leaders agree to the treaty to reduce plastic production and pollution.

The 75-second spot, called Going the Distance, takes inspiration from this year’s summer of sport to depicts global politicians running a metaphorical race, with the final UN plastics treaty negotiation as the finish line. Along the way, the leaders face hurdles such as bribery attempts and an invasion of fossil fuels and the film ends on a cliffhanger, with the question of whether they have done enough to help secure a plastic-free future for the planet still uncertain.

“Greenpeace is a bucket list client with a track record of amazing work,"said Dan Keefe, UK Head of We Are Social Studios. "We are so excited to have had the opportunity to work with a charity that creates such tangible change. This project allowed the team to flex their film craft skills and collaborate directly with clients, delivering an important message in a powerful way with our amazing partners and crew.”

“The film is on the satirical side, of course – watching these men and women run in their suits is funny," added Simon Richings, ECD of We Are Social. "But the message is less about shaming them, and more about acknowledging the pressure and hard work required to get to this crucially important plastic reduction milestone. But we want them to win!”