The Rainforest Alliance Ignites Climate Action in Optimistic Campaign

International non-profit the Rainforest Alliance collaborated with filmmaker Max Joseph on the launch of its 'Pessimism is Out. We’re All In!' film and brand campaign. The campaign aims to inspire a worldwide movement, encouraging individuals to not give up and to take meaningful action in the urgent battle against climate change. The campaign launched ahead of the 2023 UN Climate Change Conference (COP28), where global leaders united to accelerate efforts to combat the climate crisis and promote a sustainable future.

New research, commissioned by the Rainforest Alliance and conducted by Ipsos in five countries - the United States, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Germany, and Brazil - reveals that 76% of participants surveyed are concerned about climate change. 70% believe they can personally make a positive difference by taking action to tackle climate change, while 25% express scepticism about their ability to do so. The study highlights that climate action is contagious, with 56% of respondents feeling encouraged to help tackle climate change by people around them taking positive action and 47% agreeing that they would take more action if they knew everyone was doing the same. Encouragingly, 58% have confidence in our collective ability to come up with solutions to tackle climate change if we all work together.

The Rainforest Alliance's 'Pessimism is out. We’re All In!' campaign underscores the importance of optimism and the power of collective action in the fight against climate change. In the campaign film, a climate hero embodies optimism, standing resolutely against the voice of a climate sceptic and providing an inspirational role model for all. The film features a cameo appearance of TikTok's #1 news content creator NewsDaddy (Dylan Page). 

Max Joseph said, "Collaborating with the Rainforest Alliance on this campaign allowed me to confront my own challenges in combatting climate change - particularly overcoming my inner cynicism, which is probably one of the biggest universal impediments to everyone doing their part, aside from legislation and geopolitics. When a piece of media can connect with people's inner struggles and offer them a path through it, it not only spreads but also empowers, and that, to me, is the highest form of content."

Max Joseph is an award-winning filmmaker with over 100 films to his name, including viral videos, commercials, and the feature film We Are Your Friends which he also co-wrote. His non-fiction work has been featured at Sundance, Telluride, SXSW, and the Cannes Creativity Festival. Perhaps most famously, he spent seven years co-hosting and executive producing MTV’s 'Catfish.' He also teamed up with Monica Lewinsky to direct and executive produce the documentary 15 Minutes of Shame for HBO Max.