Case Study

The Arctic: Our Last Great Wilderness

The Arctic: Our Last Great Wilderness is the first cinematic exploration of a world few have truly witnessed. We are immersed in this sweeping natural landscape through the perspective of Princess Daazhraiii Johnson of the Neets’aii Gwich’in tribe and the experiences of National Geographic photographer, Florian Schulz on his five-year quest to film the elusive Porcupine Caribou herd as it migrates to the Arctic Coastal Plain.

With the help of Project Impact, this film has launched the remarkable Protect the Arctic (PTA) impact campaign to help block oil and gas drilling in this pristine wilderness area.

For a deeper dive into their impact strategies, TikTok toolkit, and more, click here for the Project Impact PTA Case Study.

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Creative

The film team’s visionary change goal set out to help save the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge by engaging the public with stunning imagery. They sought to inspire awe and action by revealing the striking beauty of this untouched, natural world and the human impact that threatens it.

The Giant Screen format was intentionally selected to immerse audiences more fully in the experience, whether 2D or 3D, to create impact that would transform the visceral experience into action.

The voice and perspective of Princess Daazhraiii Johnson connect viewers to local communities, creating a deeper understanding of and appreciation for the natural world.

Collaborative

Collaborating with NGOs and legal advisors, Protect the Arctic (PTA) determined the public comment period to the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) was their best chance at preventing oil and gas drilling in the Arctic Refuge.

They sought out influencer Alex Haraus to launch their Rapid Response sub-campaign on TikTok as a Hail Mary attempt to block drilling. Project Impact partnered with indigenous activist group, Native Movement, to create a Storytelling Toolkit that kept indigenous voices at the center. They made this toolkit accessible to TikTok users to make their own videos around the issue. PTA co-produced micro-films for social media with partner organizations like The Nature Conservancy, Audubon, Alaska Wilderness League and Gwich’in Youth Council to access and influence niche audiences.

Outreach

The team developed a strategic website designed to appeal to ideologically diverse audiences. Employing corporate marketing tools, they created a flexible site with web pages that vary depending on the user’s interests.

The impact team applied psychographics to parse social media messaging as well, using specific hashtags and paid boosts to target specific audiences. For example, eco-minded individuals see environmental messaging while hunters view content around subsistence caribou hunting. This ensured the campaign engaged audiences of all backgrounds.

Measuring Impact

Protect the Arctic’s TikTok campaign was an enormous success, generating 6.3 million letters in the public comment period to the US Fish and Wildlife Service. This was the largest response to a federal comment period recorded to date and the permit for oil and gas testing was subsequently denied. On the first day of the Biden Administration, US President Biden immediately halted Arctic drilling leases.

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