ACTIVATE: TURNING ADVOCACY INTO GLOBAL STORYTELLING

Using entertainment to take complex global issues to mainstream audiences.

THE CHALLENGE

How do you make the root causes of extreme poverty understandable — and give audiences a meaningful way to do something about them?

ACTIVATE was an ambitious six-part documentary partnership between Global Citizen, National Geographic, P&G and RadicalMedia, following campaigns tackling issues including inequality, sanitation, gender equality and the environment.

The opportunity was bigger than launching a television series: we wanted to turn powerful long-form storytelling into audience engagement and real-world action.

MY ROLE

As International Marketing Director at Global Citizen, I led branding, international marketing and partnership management across eight markets, coordinating a complex ecosystem of internal teams, broadcasters, partners, talent and local activity.

THE APPROACH

We built a multi-platform campaign around the series, connecting the reach and storytelling power of National Geographic with Global Citizen's model of audience participation and action.

The campaign rolled out across 172 countries and 43 languages, supported by international screenings, partner amplification, content, media and significant in-kind outdoor inventory.

Crucially, audiences weren't simply asked to watch. The storytelling connected back to opportunities to take action on the issues explored in each episode.

THE IMPACT

100,000 new Global Citizens recruited

120,000 actions taken

53m in-kind OOH impressions

5m impressions across Global Citizen platforms

14 international screening events

The Cash Bail campaign featured in the series also contributed to a wider advocacy effort that helped secure legislative reform in New York.