Here’s a fact: Climate change is real! But because our minds were “trained” to focus on the present, prioritizing immediate events, we struggle to act on long-term threats such as the effects of global warming. Unfortunately, news like melting glaciers, devastating fires, or other extreme weather events often lead to desensitization rather than convincing us to take action. But what if the consequences of climate change were tangible? What if we could experience the climate crisis, feeling what it is like to live in a world two, or even five degrees Celsius hotter than today?
Well, people can feel what such a life would be like thanks to a campaign developed by Grabarz & Partner for Deutsche Telekom. Using augmented technology (AR), the brand, alongside Curious Company, developed an app that enables individuals to witness firsthand the effects of climate change. In doing so, the team virtually destroyed some locations showcased at the Miniatur Wunderland in a way that only Mother Nature can, if action isn’t taken now. Using interactive tablets, the app simulates the consequences of climate change and how global warming turns iconic places such as Venice, Monaco, or Neuschwanstein Castle into desolate landscapes.
“The facts about the causes and consequences of global warming have been known for many years. However, knowledge alone does not seem to lead to action. For many people, the effects of global warming remain abstract. Therefore, we must make the possible consequences tangible in the form of scenarios,” explained Prof. Dr. Mojib Latif, one of Germany’s most renowned meteorologists and climate researchers.
The campaign is beautifully complemented by a short video, produced by Tony Petersen Film with The Glue Society as lead director. Titled “Warmland,” the film introduces the public to a little girl admiring the miniature worlds of Miniatur Wunderland. Fascinated, she enjoys every part of it. Driven by curiosity to “look into the future,” she uses the available tablets at the respective exhibits, discovering the disasters that await humanity if we don’t stick to eco-friendly behaviors. Shocked by what she sees under the AR “lenses,” she becomes even more distressed by the fact that no one is paying attention to what’s happening. “Why isn’t anyone looking?” she cries out.
“Climate protection is a matter close to our hearts. That’s why we’re delighted about this joint campaign with Telekom – against turning a blind eye and for active climate protection. The film takes place in our Miniatur Wunderland, because here, the big picture is revealed in small ways. Climate change is real. It’s time to act,” adds Gerrit Braun, Director of Miniatur Wunderland.
Besides aiming to raise awareness about climate change, the initiative also supports Telekom’s responsibility for society and the environment. According to the brand, the Group will be climate-neutral in its own operations by the end of 2025, with hopes for the entire value chain – including production and use by customers – to be climate-neutral by the end of 2040.
A dedicated website supporting the campaign is available online, allowing internet users to compare the temperatures in places like Monaco, the Austrian Alps, Venice, and Neuschwanstein Castle. The platform invites users to explore these locations as they are today, as well as how they might look in the future, with temperatures two and five degrees Celsius higher.
CREDITS
Brand: Deutsche Telekom
Director: Glue Society
DOP: Cedric Schanze
Agency: Grabarz & Partner
Agency Creatives: Ralf Heuel, Matthias Preuß, Marcio Boaventura Bittencourt
Agency Account: Florian Kruse, Carolin Günther
Agency Producer: Danilo Klöfer, Axel Leyck
Production: TPF
Executive Producer: Volker Steinmetz
Producer: Matthias Kraft
1st AD: Axel Frese
Green Consultant: Peggy Geibig
Production Manager: Hendrik Landschoof
DOP 2nd Unit: Bernhard Russow
Gaffer: Gunnar Peper
Wardrobe & Art Department: Larissa Heimbach
Casting Director: Julia Todorow / Bloomcasting
Editor: André Gelhaar
Colorist: Nadia Khairat Gómez
Audio Postproduction & Sound Design: Not A Machine
Sound Designer: Jan Willem Hohenschurz
Music Production: MOKOH Music Berlin
Music Composer: Liam Mour, Stephan Moritz
VFX & Online: bEpic
VFX Executive Producer: Martin Herzberg
VFX Supervisor / Lead Artist: Radoslaw Jamrog
VFX Producer: Moritz Bunk
AR App Develoment: Curious Company
