The Great Reset Calls on Accidental Climate Heroes to Answer Pivotal Creative Brief

The Great Reset, an initiative created by The Purpose Disruptors that calls on the creative industry to continue the environmentally positive behaviours that occurred during lockdown, has revealed its ambitious creative brief as well as an impressive volume of media support. The creative brief has been written by BBH’s chief strategy officer, Will Lion, who stated: “This might be the most important brief you ever work on”. The brief asks that the industry creates something to celebrate the accidental climate heroes of Britain and encourage them to make it a badge of honour.

Lisa Merrick-Lawless, co-founder of The Purpose Disruptors, commented: “The Great Reset is an invitation for the industry to use its creativity to reset its role in society. Our research showed that 77% of the UK population thought it was the responsibility of the advertising industry to maintain the positive environmental behaviours we experienced during lockdown.  Only 23% thought it was our responsibility to encourage people to consume like we did before. Organisations like Iris, BBH, Mindshare and D&AD are stepping up to meet the wishes of the UK population and the needs of our planet at this moment. We welcome other progressive individuals and organisations to join them.”

The brief is accessible to people who have already pledged their support, talent and time to the movement, plus invites any agency or individual who is yet to do so. Over 170 individuals and agencies from the industry have signed up to the initiative, including representatives from Iris, Wieden & Kennedy, Lucky Generals, MullenLowe, BBH, M&C Saatchi, RPM, McCann, Mindshare, Grey London, Creature and Elvis.

Sophie Robinson, CMO, Stylist, said: “During lockdown we have been able to see for ourselves the powerful impact changes to our lifestyle ca be for our environment. Supporting The Great Reset allows us to use our platforms to educate the Stylist woman on how she can continue this positive journey.”

The Great Reset has also revealed a ‘media hamper’, which details the media opportunities secured by Mindshare, to showcase the winning work. Media owners who’ve pledged support and space include Mail Metro Media, The Independent and Global Radio. Stylist has pledged their support by donating a takeover of their website as well as presence at their annual event, Stylist Live. Clear Channel have also donated OOH space, and WeTransfer has signed up to support by offering their highly coveted digital space. The media space secured means the brief extends to include creative opportunities for print, digital, OOH, radio and social.

Louise Stubbings, creative director at Clear Channel UK, said: “We’re delighted to support The Great Reset initiative and be part of this fantastic collective effort to help drive positive environmental shifts. As we emerge from lockdown, Out of Home continues to be the perfect medium for important public messaging and I am sure we’ll see some incredible artworks across our sites, which will showcase our industry’s creativity at its best.”

In an industry first, the creative ideas submitted to The Great Reset will be judged by D&AD New Blood Academy. Over 200 students from the academy will be selecting the best creative work, which will then be showcased across the various media spaces. New Blood creatives will be supported by experienced mentors from the UK’s top agencies.

Dara Lynch, D&AD Coo, said: “Since D&AD supported the launch of The Great Reset in July, we have been asking, how can we use this moment to reset our organisation? Our response is to rethink how we can empower emerging creatives to inform the decisions that will impact their futures. A cohort of over 200 young creatives in this year's New Blood Academy will judge the best work generated by the industry, in response to The Great Reset creative brief. We're excited to give young leaders a voice in choosing the kind of work the industry needs to be doing more of, for all our futures.”

Christian Broughton, editor, The Independent, added: “The Independent has for decades played a trailblazing role in climate journalism. While others undermined the science, we championed the cause. We are now, at last, in a phase where the science is no longer in doubt. Now it’s about action and real change. From researchers to entrepreneurs, we are committed to celebrating those making the greatest contribution to the defining cause of a generation, and are delighted to be collaborating with The Great Reset.”

The creative brief and media hamper can be accessed online. Virtual group briefings were held on Wednesday 12th August and will be again on Monday 17th August via zoom, registration is here. The submission deadline for creative work is 31st August, work can be submitted via the website. Winning work will be announced on 14th September. The campaign will be live from 23rd September until the end of October.

Dan Gee, head of EMEA, sales and brand partnerships at WeTransfer, concluded: “WeTransfer is pleased to support The Great Reset. We believe that creativity can be an amazing force for good, and are happy to be able to give a platform to ideas that inspire better environmental behaviours. As a certified B-Corp, WeTransfer has committed to take concrete steps to improve our own behaviours and to ensure we are a part of a genuinely sustainable future, one where we leave the planet and society in a better condition than we found it."