Helping reclaim the deep seabed from mining companies.
Coogee-based creative agency Emotive and Deep Rising, a global impact campaign inspired by the award-winning environmental documentary of the same name, have teamed up to help reclaim the deep seabed from mining companies and settle ‘The World’s Largest Ocean Dispute’.
The campaign aims to empower people around the globe to claim back the deep seabed from mining companies attempting to turn a vast area of the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ) in the Pacific Ocean, equivalent to the size of India, into the world’s largest mine.
Adrian ‘Ace’ Buchan, former world tour surfer, environmentalist, BBC Green Sport Awards Evergreen Athlete for 2024 and campaign advocate said the deep seabed is teeming with life, and it's also our largest carbon sink.
"I’ve been lucky enough to live a life in and around the ocean, to have had a career riding waves that have travelled across vast oceans, created by unseen storms," he said.
"The ocean has no voice but it is on the front line in our collective fight for survival, and we owe it to the blue beating heart of our earth to be the voice of hope, preservation, and respect. Deep Rising allows us the opportunity to stand up against the exploitation of one of our last remaining frontiers."
Emotive unveiled a giant street mural by iconic Australian artist and musician Reg Mombassa and Apparition Media back in March, along with a call-to-arms to the marketing industry to get involved.
Over the past 8 months, JCDecaux, ARN, Channel Nine, Mamamia, WeAre8, On the Edge and Surfers for Climate have rallied to support with over $2M of advertising and editorial committed in Australia, UK and the US with more partners still coming onboard.
Emotive’s creative director Paul Sharp, was Co-Executive Producer of the documentary Deep Rising and the agency has spearheaded the subsequent impact campaign, donating a massive amount of time and resources to the cause.
Emotive has led the strategy, creative, and media, while also designing deeprising.com - the central hub of the campaign, with NFT assets in 90 languages.
Deep Rising’s head of impact and co-executive producer Laura Clarke said we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to change the course of history and prevent irreparable harm to our planet.
"'The World’s Largest Ocean Dispute' campaign empowers humanity to formally challenge this ocean grab that’s threatening to destroy an irreplaceable and vital part of our planet’s ecosystem," she said.
The deep seabed in the High Seas (where the CCZ lies), is defined by the United Nations’ Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), as the "common heritage of (hu)mankind" and must be "held in trust for future generations", meaning it doesn't belong to any organisation, nation or corporation.
Clarke continues there has never been a greater need to protect it to safeguard ocean health and planetary stability.
"The seabed cannot be owned and corporations don’t have the right to decide what happens to it - especially if the destruction impacts our lives and the lives of our children," he said.
‘The World’s Largest Ocean Dispute’ campaign has divided the deep seabed into 8.17 billion GPS coordinates - representing everyone on the planet - and mapped them across the seabed currently claimed for mining.
Through deeprising.com, people are able to freely claim their unique coordinates in around 60 seconds via a decentralised digital platform backed by web3 technology.
By claiming your coordinates, you are agreeing to protect the deep seabed on behalf of humanity.
In partnership with Web3 organisation, CoinWeb, your claim will be recorded on an eco-friendly blockchain for transparency and proof of stewardship, so that it can be used to elevate the voice of humanity and dispute the mining corporations’ claims to exploit the deep seabed for profit.
This campaign will send a powerful message to nations, corporations and policymakers: the deep seabed is the common heritage of humankind and must be protected on behalf of humanity, not exploited to benefit a select few.
In return for their claim, users will receive a unique DEEPSEA NFT / Birthright Certificate stamped with their individualised GPS coordinates and featuring beautifully designed deep sea creatures, known and unknown, which can easily be shared to social channels.
Emotive creative director and Deep Rising documentary co-executive producer Paul Sharp said it's a simple solution for a complex and far reaching issue.
"An insanely vast area of the deep seabed in the Pacific has been secretly divided up for potential mining which would be carried out by mining companies and their pro-mining nation sponsors," he said.
"By dividing the deep seabed into 8.17 billion plot coordinates, we’re allowing all of humanity (the rightful shared owners of the deep seabed) the ability to claim it back and have their voices heard.”
Video, social, and OOH assets have been driving a global audience to the Deep Rising website, alongside the feature-length documentary 'Deep Rising'.
For the first time, the film, directed and produced by Matthieu Rytz and narrated by Jason Momoa, will be available to stream directly online, and shortly after, it will also launch on Amazon Prime Video, Google Play, and Apple TV to inspire action.
Emotive managing partner and head of strategy Michael Hogg said the agency's purpose is to create ideas that change the way people feel.
"Changing how people feel about deep sea mining to ensure the safeguarding of our planet’s last pristine wilderness is arguably the most important thing we’ve ever pointed it at," he said.
"I’m grateful to the Deep Rising team for bringing the problem to the world’s attention before it’s too late, and now we’re inviting the whole world to go on the journey with us.”
'The World’s Largest Ocean Dispute’ launches on November 20 to coincide with the UN Climate Change Conference COP 29, reinforcing the environmental and generational significance of the threat posed by deep sea mining.
Emotive will host a celebratory event, attended by Laura Clarke and 180 special guests, designed to further galvanise community, marketing and media industry support for the campaign on December 4.
Emotive CEO Simon Joyce said the agency, alongside so many other pro-bono partners, are so proud to play a part in this project - which gives the ocean a much needed voice.
"Emotive has always been based by the Pacific Ocean, so it’s both deeply personal and a privilege to support Deep Rising’s mission to halt deep sea mining before it starts," he said.
"It felt like a once-in-a lifetime opportunity to leverage the power of creativity for good, bringing together big ideas, brilliant partners, beautiful design and blockchain technology to give people everywhere the power to protect the deep seabed. So please, claim your birthright today and join The ‘World’s Largest Ocean Dispute’.”
Credits:
Client: Deep Rising
Director, Producer & Co-Creative Director: Matthieu Rytz
Head of Impact and Co-Executive Producer: Laura Clarke
Head of Communications: Katie Lettice
Co-Creative Director and Co-Executive Producer: Paul Sharp
Head of Strategy: Florence Tercier
Partnerships Manager: Mark Haver
Partnerships Consultant: Marie-Céline Piednoir
Social Media Coordinator: Mackenzie Govett
Creative and Production: Emotive
CEO & Founder: Simon Joyce
Managing Partner & Chief Strategy Officer: Michael Hogg
Group Creative Director: Darren Wright
Senior Creative Director: Paul Sharp
Creative Directors: Kat Topp, James Pash
Head of Design: Daniel Mortensen
Senior Designer: Chris Cooper
Senior Art Director: Tessa Chong
Head of Production: Hayley-Ritz Pelling
Creative Producer: Jenna Fisher
Producer: Rebecca Love-Williams
Business Directors: Mitchel O’Donohue, Pia McMorran
Senior Account Directors: Robyn Claffey, Zoe Hartas
Media Agency: Kookaburra Riot
Founder: Paul Murphy
Website Build: Taledo & JTB
Taledo Founder: Peter Vahaviolos
Blockchain Partner: Coinweb
Global PR: HAVAS Red
