When National Geographic approached us with the opportunity to pitch on the social and digital campaign for one of their most highly anticipated shows of the year, we knew that we had to bring our absolute best.
With the show being from the acclaimed director Darren Aronofsky, featuring narration by the legendary Will Smith, and profound stories from icons of space travel, we recognized the rare opportunity to help convey the story of how unique and special our planet really is.
This campaign would have to span across every social media platform, while also appealing to a global audience. Our primary objective was to craft a compelling and captivating integrated campaign that would take viewers on a mind-bending and thrilling adventure, leaving them completely awestruck by the wonder and peculiarity of our planet.
The coincidences that had to occur for life as we know it to exist are nearly impossible to fathom. Countless things had to happen in just the right way for life on Earth to blossom. In fact, the truth is that we really shouldn’t even be here.
and instill a sense of wonder, appreciation, and amazement for our planet in a way that had never been achieved before.
To achieve this, we devised a strategy that incorporated striking visuals, visceral reactions, and the star power of Darren Aronofsky and Will Smith to imbue the campaign with life and vigor.
Our concept was to treat the campaign like a mysterious and exclusive feature film release, showcasing Earth as an unknown, enigmatic planet. This fresh approach encouraged people to view our world from an outsider’s perspective, resulting in a newfound appreciation for the globe’s interconnectedness.
We began with an air of intrigue and mystery, releasing early content such as “Views from Space.” This collection of high-angle shots showcased Earth’s most extraordinary locations, presenting them in a unique way that appeared almost alien, while highlighting the most awe-inspiring aspects of our planet.
Capturing the vastness and complexity of events on Earth is no easy feat. To tell this story in a personalized and powerful way, we created a dynamic video showcasing the staggering volume of births, deaths, heartbeats, and global changes that occur on our planet in just one year.
Using a combination of music, footage, and typography, we developed a modular system of customized clips that offer users a glimpse of this data based on their age. Every time a user tweets #YourStrangeRock with their age, the Nat Geo Twitter account responds with a personalized video that highlights the incredible events that have occurred during their lifetime. From the number of breaths they’ve taken to the number of birds born, the video reveals the incredible scale of events that happen on Earth.
By taking the massive activity of an entire planet and breaking it down into an intimate exploration of a single individual’s existence, we further engaged viewers and generated additional excitement around the show’s premiere.
Fewer than 550 people have ever traveled into space. These courageous individuals have a one-of-a-kind perspective of Earth and are a prominent feature in each episode of the series. Their unique insight into the planet’s inner workings and the delicate balance they’ve witnessed from miles above is truly remarkable.
To tell their personal stories and explore how their experiences in space have changed their understanding of life on Earth, we created short-form content using NASA footage, clips from the show, and interviews with the astronauts. This content provides a rare glimpse into their journeys and offers viewers a unique perspective on the world we call home.
We produced dozens of visually stunning pieces of social content that captured the unbelievable history of Earth. Through our exploration of the fascinating facts behind our daily existence and the intricate workings of our bodies, we aimed to leave viewers in awe.
One of our projects, Earth: An Illustrated Yearbook, used animated sequences to showcase key moments in the planet’s history, from the growth of tiny bacteria after cataclysmic collisions to the formation of the continents and the creation of oxygen on Earth. We also created a series of videos packed with the weirdest-but-true facts that highlighted the incredible ways the human body interacts with our environment and manages to survive.
Our ongoing social content utilized the Instagram Story format to showcase the dual nature of volcanoes, germs, mudslides, the ozone, and the crazy dichotomy that exists within every element of Earth’s systems. These pieces of content were designed to captivate viewers and remind them of the incredible history of our planet.
We wanted to tell the story of the intricate connections that link every living thing together on our planet, from the smallest microbes to the largest animals. To achieve this, we created a series of videos that combined breathtaking footage with poetic copy.
Our focus was on showcasing the complex biosystems and immense connectivity throughout the planet, from the circle of life to the genesis of the ozone layer, and the biological processes that create oxygen for us to breathe. We were thrilled to demonstrate the incredible impact of a single snowflake, leading to a microscopic diatom inside a raging river. From there, the river provides food and shelter to plants and animals, and millions of interconnected instances maintain this delicate balance and keep our world alive.
It was an absolute pleasure to bring these connections to life and showcase the incredible web of life that surrounds us.
PRODUCER