Emotive and Deep Rising Unveil Global Campaign to Save Last Pristine Wilderness

Coogee-based creative agency Emotive, in partnership with Deep Rising — a global impact campaign inspired by the award-winning environmental documentary of the same name — have launched 'The World’s Largest Ocean Dispute.'

In a world-first, the campaign empowers 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) -  spanning over 3 million square kilometres in the Pacific Ocean (equivalent to the size of India) - into the world’s largest mine. Far from the barren wasteland that the mining companies would like us to believe, the deep seabed is teeming with life and is home to millions of species yet to be discovered. It is also our largest carbon sink, working to stabilise the planet’s climate.  

Adrian ‘Ace’ Buchan, former world tour surfer, environmentalist, BBC Green Sport Awards Evergreen Athlete for 2024 and campaign advocate said: “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. 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.”

While today marks the official launch of the ‘The World’s Largest Ocean Dispute’ campaign, back in March, Emotive unveiled a giant street mural by iconic Australian artist and musician Reg Mombassa and Apparition Media 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. In creating ‘The World’s Largest Ocean Dispute’, 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, who is also a co-founder of one of the most awarded campaigns in the world, the Palau Pledge, commented, “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.”

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." This means the deep seabed doesn't belong to any organisation, nation or corporation. It belongs to all of us. It is our birthright as human beings, and there has never been a greater need to protect it to safeguard ocean health and planetary stability. 

Laura continues, “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.“

In a world-first, ‘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 first-of-its kind decentralised digital platform backed by web3 technology. By claiming your coordinates, as is your birthright, 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 - inspired by deep ocean life, known and unknown. The non-tradable NFTs will be available in 90 languages including many indigenous languages, and can easily be shared to social channels. 

Paul Sharp, creative director, Emotive and co-executive producer of Deep Rising documentary comments: "For such a complex and far reaching issue, it’s a simple solution. 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. 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.”

Driving a global audience to deeprising.com are video, social, and OOH assets. But what truly sets this campaign apart is the feature-length documentary Deep Rising. For the first time, this award-winning environmental film, directed and produced by Matthieu Rytz and narrated by Jason Momoa, will be available to stream directly on deeprising.com. Shortly after, it will also launch on Amazon Prime Video, Google Play, and Apple TV, amplifying our reach and deepening the campaign’s impact to inspire action and claim your piece of the deep sea.

Michael Hogg, managing partner and head of strategy, Emotive, said, “Emotive’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. 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 today to coincide with the UN Climate Change Conference COP 29, reinforcing the environmental and generational significance of the threat posed by deep sea mining. On December 4, 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 global impact campaign.

Simon Joyce, CEO, Emotive concluded,  “Emotive, 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. 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’.”