2022 Winner

CASE SUMMARY

The objective was to get NFT buyers, sellers, and advocates to consider the impact of blockchain technology on the environment.

Blockchain networks are gaining mainstream attention as the banking technology of the future for their ability to capture a digital ledger of the buy and sell process, whether it’s the exchange of digital currencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum, or the sale and resale of art and media in the form of Non Fungible Tokens (NFTs).

Throughout the pandemic, NFTs and alt currencies like Bitcoin exploded in growth as savings increased around the world and people diverted their money towards these ‘investments’ in the hopes of making money. What people didn’t realize is that blockchain networks consume huge amounts of energy, which results in an extraordinarily large amount of carbon emissions. The more transactions recorded,
the more energy used.

NFT’s took off in the first quarter of 2021 reaching $2.5 billion in sales by the second quarter, up from $13.7 million year over year. Fuelling these sales were clickbait headlines in mainstream media that focused on the absurd cost of virtual items being bought: from a $387,000 virtual Lebron James highlight on NBATop Shot to $70 million paid for a ‘digital masterpiece’ by artist Beeple. In an attempt to drive traffic to their sites and channels, media were fixated on price while ignoring the true cost to the environment.

They wanted to weed into the world’s fixation on price by showing the true cost of NFTs. Working in collaboration with Canadian visual artist MCPHERSO, they created the “Nature Friendly Token” and posted it on one of the most popular platforms, Rarible, for 25,000,000 ETH (approximately C$50 billion). The NFT was not designed to be sold, but rather to intercept their target right at the source. They integrated their message right into the marketplace where the buying and selling was taking place to get people to realize that digital actions still
have real world consequences.

They created a one-of-a-kind artwork designed to help preserve our one-of-a-kind planet. The design of the Nature Friendly Token juxtaposes the value of blockchain technology against the incredible cost of our most precious natural resources, like Canada’s Boreal forest. These natural resources hold tremendous value. The Boreal forest alone represents an estimated $50.9 billion per year in natural benefits, which is why they set their price at a staggering level.

Once posted, they used PR and social media to launch the effort to the very media who so eagerly were highlighting and fuelling the behaviour through their coverage and offered up an alternative take on
the true cost of NFTs.

Since launch, they’ve achieved millions in earned media impressions in mass outlets like the Toronto Star and industry outlets focused on blockchain. This has opened up new corporate discussions for the David Suzuki Foundation with the technology sector to influence change. In the weeks following their launch, the blockchain narrative began to shift from promotion of its benefits to highlighting its environmental pitfalls. And most importantly, they successfully infiltrated the source to encourage their target and to stop the blockchain reaction and preserve the greatest work
of art we all share: nature.

Credits

CLIENT: David Suzuki Foundation
CLIENTS: Yannick Beaudoin, Brendan Glauser
AGENCY: Camp Jefferson
EVP, MANAGING PARTNER: Peter Bolt
SVP, GENERAL MANAGER: Edith Rosa
CREATIVE DIRECTORS: Phil Coulter, Stefan D'Aversa
ACCOUNT DIRECTOR: Mike Blackmore
VISUAL ARTIST: MCPHERSO
PRODUCTION: WOVE Collective