Film and Influencer Campaign: Pew Charitable Trusts
A powerful film to create global change and #StopFundingOverfishing
The challenge:
Although the WTO passed a groundbreaking agreement in 2022 to eliminate the most damaging fisheries subsidies, it still requires the ratification of 110 member nations to become enforceable.
The solution:
In partnership with The Pew Charitable Trusts, the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), and the World Trade Organization (WTO), we produced Change Makers, a documentary film with a focused mission: to stop taxpayer money from funding fisheries subsidies that contribute to overfishing.
The film aimed to raise public awareness and inspire action, encouraging viewers to support the treaty by contacting their local trade representatives. Change Makers featured a high-profile cast, including actor Ted Danson (famous for Cheers), and scientists Daniel Pauly, Rashid Sumaila, and Jennifer Jacquet, who provided compelling insights into the urgent need for sustainable fishing practices. With additional support from Sony Music, we secured the rights to Billy Joel's evocative song "Downeaster Alexa," which underscored the film’s call to action.
To generate buzz ahead of the WTO Conference in 2024, we launched a social media influencer campaign with over 110 social media influencers agreeing to share the film's call to action. The film screened to WTO delegates, with a discussion panel including Canadian Ambassador Nadia Theodor. The film has since been screened at almost a dozen film festivals, winning several major awards and generating global support for the efforts to #StopFundingOverfishing.
Deliverables
Film scripting
Film direction and production
Film editing and post-production
Influencer promotional campaign
Virtual Event: Clé de Peau Beauté/UNICEF
A global celebration to empower women
Celebrating UNICEF’s gender diversity initiative the ‘Power of Radiance’ Awards during a global pandemic posed an unprecedented challenge for beauty company Clé de Peau Beauté, a Shiseido brand.
ReAgency was asked to create an event strategy that allowed celebrities, journalists, and executives to celebrate alongside the award winners in a virtual event. ReAgency created the initial event concept, then managed all elements of production - including scripting, coordinating with talent, filming, and editing.
Deliverables
Covid-Safe programming
Virtual event management & planning
Virtual event filming & production
Event marketing & promotion
Promoting Global Sustainability: Tyler Prize
Generating public attention for the Planetary Boundaries
ReAgency has worked with the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement for almost a decade, collaborating to raise the global profile of this exceptional award. In 2024, the Tyler Prize was awarded to Johan Rockström, a renowned scientist whose research on the Planetary Boundaries framework has significantly influenced global sustainability efforts.
Our goal was to increase international recognition of the 2024 Tyler Prize Laureate, promote his groundbreaking work on Planetary Boundaries, and drive broader public engagement within NGOs, scientists, and students.
We developed a range of user-friendly Planetary Boundaries resources, combined with an international press effort and live award event in Potsdam, Germany, targeting key figures in the sustainability conversation. The results included thousands of social media shares, dozens of articles in mainstream media (including the New York Times and Wall Street Journal), and promotional partnerships with allies such as Conservation International and Virgin Unite to help push the Planetary Boundaries into the public consciousness.
Deliverables
Strategic communications planning
Media outreach and press management
Digital resource creation
Live event Management
Awareness Campaign: New York Academy of Sciences
Welcome to Our Third Century
The New York Academy of Science is a leader in engaging youth in science and innovation, through its programs such as ‘1,000 Girls, 100 Futures’ and ‘Challenge 2030’. However, acquiring funding for such programs requires effective messaging and marketing to an extraordinarily-challenging niche audience: donors. NYAS engaged ReAgency, with the business objective to drive donations amongst foundations, trusts, and high-wealth individuals, through the creation of video assets that could be used during fundraising events; such as the New York Academy of Science’s ‘Imagine 300’ Gala event. The assets would leverage the NYAS brand assets, brand reputation, and influencers to drive donations.
Careful messaging was key to the success of the campaign. ReAgency’s communications team worked with NYAS through several rounds of communication strategy and planning, including the scripting of the key video asset: the ‘Imagine 2030’ film. Communications messages were refined to meet the needs of sponsors and donors, and then built out into a video script. The script was then tested on representatives of the target market, and feedback was gathered on the campaign’s effectiveness. After final communications messages were locked in, we used archival photo assets from NYAS’s 200-year history, and filmed on camera interviews within influencers such as James Watson, Craig Venter, and Ted Turner (CNN), to add third-party credibility to the messages of innovation, integrity, and leadership.
The final marketing piece was screened at the NYAS ‘Imagine 2030’ gala, and raised over $1.6 million in donation commitments within 24 hours. This is just one case study of our ongoing marketing work with NYAS – we are delighted to work with the academy on a recurring basis to raise funds, increase youth enrollment in programs, and boost visibility of the NYAS brand.
Deliverables
Content marketing
Content production
Influencer engagement
Social media strategy
Generating Business Investment: Academic Venture Exchange
Communicating Science to Investors
The Academic Venture Exchange (AVX) connects science and technology ventures to investors and entrepreneurs. AVX needed to educate potential investors on the benefits of NoMoDx, a concussion diagnostic device. ReAgency was recruited to make a short, informative video that included interviewing key members of the NoMoDx team and communicate the information in an easy-to-understand format.
ReAgency’s team of directors and filmmakers shot on location in two different cities to work around the NoMoDx team’s schedule while our producer liaised with academics and ensured that the medical and technical science was understood and accurate. This raw science expertise was then transformed by ReAgency into the best possible narrative so, using language most relevant to their audience – the video would be easily accessible to all investors.
This video is currently being shown to multiple investors by AVX to help NoMoDx gather funding, as well as being featured on the NoMoDx website.
Throughout this process ReAgency worked closely with AVX, maintaining a balanced and transparent relationship.
Deliverables
Video production
Science communication
Scriptwriting
Translating Science to English: NASA
Giving Science a Visual Representation
NASA and Princeton Satellite Systems are currently working together to construct a Fusion Rocket propelled by a Direct Fusion Drive (DFD) engine. Still in a theoretical state, they needed a visualization to produce for investors and events. Princeton Satellite Systems enlisted ReAgency to create an animated video that explained how the Fusion Rocket would work.
ReAgency and Princeton Satellite Systems worked together to write a script that would simply, but accurately, communicate the complex science of the rocket. ReAgency’s designers then created animation in both 2D and 3D renderings that showcased the uniqueness of the engine and how it would propel the rocket. These animations were specifically designed to give both a realistic and simplified visualization of the rocket’s engine.
Deliverables
Video production
Science communication
Scriptwriting
Animation
Inspiring Careers in Science: AAAS
Inspiring Careers in Science Communication
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) wanted to help scientists identify lesser known avenues when entering their professional careers and trying to demonstrate the breadth of jobs that scientists could have. They specifically, chose to focus on looking at Science Communication careers that are possible based on previous marketing insights that ReAgency had prepared.
The main focus of the project was a webinar that aired live and could be put on the Science Careers webpage. ReAgency was commissioned to identify and build relationships with 3 key influencers in the Science Communication industry from our vast network. We brought Vanessa Hill from BrainCraft, Dr Marcus Eriksen from 5 Gyres and the current Miss USA and radiochemist Kára McCullough onboard to document and record their science career experiences in three 10 minute videos. These three were then also on the webinar live to introduce themselves and answer people’s questions in real time.
ReAgency was also charged with running a social media campaign in the lead up to the webinar. We created custom designed graphics for all social media (Facebook, Instagram and Twitter) for our influencers and ensured that the correct messaging was circulated to the targeted audiences.
Deliverables
Video production
Social amplification
influencer partnerships
Social strategy
Photography
Lead generation
Promoting Women: National Academy of Engineering
The Next MacGyver
Given the scarcity of women in STEM-related fields – the National Academy of Engineering were looking for a way to encourage more young women into science. To solve this problem, we created a script for a pilot television show, inspired by MacGyver – the popular 80s television show featuring an adventurous engineer as the protagonist. Named ‘The Club’, the story centers around the exploits of a 16-year-old prom queen, who is forced to lead her school’s STEM team. The project is currently in development with Hollywood producer Roberto Orci (Transformers, Scorpion, Fringe, Star Trek).
Deliverables
Story creation
Live pitch
TV script
Event Management: ScienceDebate
Bringing Science to Politics
ScienceDebate at the time of the 2016 presidential election, was faced with the obstacle of bringing science to the forefront of political discussion. They faced the specific challenge of communicating complex science issues – such as Climate Change, public health, and cybersecurity – to the wider voting public.
In collaboration with The Young Turks, the Union of Concerned Scientists, and the Science Education Policy Association, ReAgency launched the ‘More Scientific Union’ campaign, featuring influencers from pop culture alongside scientists such as Nobel Laureate Dr. Harold Varmus, and AAAS CEO Rush Holt. The event was hosted by Google, in front of a live audience of more than 80 influencers and members of the Press.
The event and video stream was successfully reported on by The New York Times, Scientific American, and platforms including Research America.
Deliverables
Video production
PR strategy
Social amplification
Event Publicity: Smithsonian Institute
Getting the Message Across
To change the narrative of ‘doom and gloom’ in environmental conservation, the Smithsonian launched the first global Earth Optimism Summit, in partnership with Earth Day 2017. To drive attendance at the Summit, and promote the message of Optimism, ReAgency was commissioned to build a social and traditional media campaign in the lead up to the event.
The centerpiece of the campaign was a digital influencer video, featuring champions of science and activism such as Joe Hanson (It’s OK To Be Smart) and Cenk Ugyer (TYT Network). The campaign was successful in building support for the event, and was covered in publications such as Scientific America and Salon.
Deliverables
Video production
PR strategy
Social amplification