Building on a message of ‘Hope’ against climate change

The United Nations is launching a new global campaign – ‘Hopenhagen’ – to harness action prior to this December’s U.N. Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen. Joined by the International Advertising Association (IAA) and other media agencies, the U.N aims to empower people and generate mass activation around the world in order to adjust the fate of the planet.

The current debate waging over the facts of climate change is bleeding over into every news and social media outlet in the world. It is no longer political or theological – it is a human debate, sparked by our will and need to survive in the hope of instigating real, positive change.

It is this need that has lead the United Nations to launch a global campaign -’Hopenhagen‘ – to harness action prior to this December’s U.N. Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen. Joined by the International Advertising Association (IAA) and otehr media agencies, the U.N aims to empower people and generate mass activation around the world.

The U.N. Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen is an opportunity to protect people and the planet and to power global green growth in order to adjust the fate of the planet.

“Climate change is one of the epic challenges facing this and future generations,” said U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. “World leaders will come together for the Copenhagen climate change conference in December and every citizen of the world has a stake in the outcome. It is time to seal a deal. We need a global movement that mobilizes real change.”

Hopenhagen will complement the U.N.’s “Seal the Deal!” campaign, which calls on world leaders to “unite to find a solution to climate change that is fair, balanced, effective and science-based.” The campaign is modeled as an open source campaign that is powered by the people and created in the voice of global citizens, with creative inputs from diverse viewpoints of visitors engaging with the site from around the world used to generate online and offline content.

Hopenhagen is about more than hope. “It is about global action for a global climate treaty and a better future for humankind,” added Ban.

Bringing change to the “COP15″ Climate Change Conference

This December, delegates from 192 nations will meet in Copenhagen to ratify a new international global climate treaty, which will take effect when the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012.

Recognizing the tremendous role that communications will play leading up to and during the conference, the U.N. engaged the global advertising and media industry through the IAA to develop a comprehensive communications program to drive public awareness and generate action.

“Climate change is a universal challenge, and we believe the world’s citizens are ready to act — they are just seeking the right platform,” said IAA Executive Director Michael Lee. “The strategy and stunning creative concept for the Hopenhagen idea came from WPP’s Ogilvy & Mather team, the digital framework and direction were developed by MDC Partner’s Colle+McVoy, and the global PR and messaging plans were spearheaded by Omnicom Group’s Ketchum. The collaboration that has taken place among the world’s leading agencies to develop this campaign for the United Nations is unprecedented and a testament to the significance the industry places on the need for action to address climate change.”

Hopenhagen’s creative materials will emphasize the need to shift from “coping” or ignoring our global challenges to “hoping” and ultimately acting to create a new reality.

The imagery will emphasize the human and economic aspects of climate change, by contrasting the challenges we face against the tremendous solutions that await if the world commits to aggressive plans to tackle climate change. The tone of the movement is optimistic, honest, authentic and hopeful.

The diverse and complementary team of communication agencies that have volunteered time, resources and dedicated team members to develop and execute the Hopenhagen campaign include Dentsu; Havas, represented by Euro RSCG and MPG; Interpublic Group, represented by McCann Worldgroup, R/GA and Draftfcb; MDC Partners, represented by Colle+McVoy; Omnicom Group, represented by Ketchum, Interbrand and Tribal DDB; Publicis Groupe, represented by Digitas and Saatchi & Saatchi S; and WPP, represented by Ogilvy & Mather. The chairman of the creative council was Bob Isherwood, former worldwide creative director of Saatchi & Saatchi.

Hopenhagen.org, will serve as the campaign hub, where visitors can learn about climate change issues, express their vision for the future of the planet, and send a message to the delegates attending the U.N. Climate Change Conference to work together to finalize a strong, global climate change treaty. A more aggressive consumer launch of Hopenhagen will take place in September 2009 and continue through the U.N. Climate Change Conference in December and beyond.

For more info, visit Hopenhagen.org.

Tagged as:

agencies, awareness, climate, climate change, Copenhagen, United Nations, volunteer