When the world seems beset with problems too big to solve, it’s easy to throw our collective hands in the air and give in to the doom and gloom. But the choices we do and do not make now could literally make or break our future. At this pivotal moment, there’s no room for error, or dwelling on the negative thinking around, “what happens if we get it wrong?”
It’s time to engineer a radically different response—one rooted in youthful and intergenerational optimism—that changes the conversation and instead asks: “what if we get it right?”
In September of 2024, the UN General Assembly convened in NYC for the Summit of the Future, a two-day event that set into motion a plan for a better, brighter future for all. We partnered with the UN Foundation to develop a campaign that encouraged young people around the world to tune in and engage with the Summit.
Once Upon a Future tapped into youth resilience and hopefulness in a format they know, understand and love: via an internet and culture-driven parallel broadcast of the Summit that broke down the days’ events in a digestible and entertaining way.
Preceding the Summit, we launched worldwide OOH, social and digital displays to drive awareness and invite audiences from all corners of the world to tune in and watch the Summit live.
The broadcast was directed by Tim Bierbaum and featured an eclectic cast of internet personalities, UN experts and creators to reach a broad global audience: Felipe Neto, Lea’h Sampson, Heidi Becker, Dan Rosen, Hallie Haas, Liah Yoo and Pooja Tripathi.
United Nations experts we tapped included Stéphane Dujarric, UN Spokesperson for the Secretary-General; Elizabeth Cousens, President and CEO, United Nations Foundation; Eddie Ndopu, global humanitarian and social justice advocate and Noreyana Fernando, World Bank External Affairs Officer, Development Finance.
Made at Droga5 with:
Tom and George McQueen (Executive Creative Directors)
Maria Kouninski (Creative Director)
Georgia Trimble (Sr. Copywriter)
Vanessa Bittante (Sr. Art Director)
Christian Zerbel (Sr. Copywriter)
Sollin Saele (Sr. Art Director)
Mariel Calara (Copywriter)
Malia Athanasiou (Art Director)
Roger Morán (Senior Producer, Film)
Josh Campbell (Associate Producer, Film)
Director: Tim Bierbaum
Music/Sound Design/Mix: Human
Press:
Adweek
Shots
LBB Online
AdForum