When Wisconsin Sen. Gaylord Nelson initiated the first Earth Day in 1970, he probably couldn’t fathom that five decades later, the entire world would be celebrating the event’s 50th anniversary secluded from one another, for the most part, indoors.
Festivities for Mother Nature’s birthday during a pandemic are, needless to say, different from other years. Instead of at concerts, yoga meetups, conferences or workshops held in grassy public parks, many environmental enthusiasts are watching the day unfold via their screens.
Brands committed to sustainability or with long-standing green histories are getting in on the digital action. Levi Strauss & Co., for example, posted a list of ways customers could memorialize the day online, while other brands like Ben & Jerry’s and Seventh Generation have been promoting a two-day virtual climate activism event. For those who anticipate spending most of the holiday on the couch, National Geographic and Discovery Channel are debuting documentaries to celebrate Earth Day—Born Wild: The Next Generation and The Story of Plastic, respectively.
Adweek rounded up a few of the most ingenious and notable Earth Day commemorations from the brands below.
Greta Thunberg’s Fridays for Future
Outspoken teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg, who recently became the youngest person to ever to be distinguished as Time’s Person of the Year, released a visceral climate crisis ad with her organization, Fridays for Future, to promote environmental empathy. Produced by agency FF Los Angeles, the raging 60-second narrative was sparked by Thunberg’s impassioned “our house is on fire” remarks at the 2020 World Economic Forum.
FF Los Angeles previously worked with Fridays for Future in a December campaign that reimagined dream destinations post-global warming.
Hyundai
Two South Korean giants—Hyundai Motor Company and boyband sensation BTS—have partnered up for the #DarkSelfieChallenge this Earth Day. In a photo posted on the industrial conglomerate official Twitter account, BTS member Kim Tae-hyung, known by his stage name V, “showed himself in the dark to shed light on climate change” by taking a selfie with all of the lights off (and the flash on).
Impossible Foods
Impossible Foods launched a new online feature today—a calculator that shows you how much you reduce your land, water and greenhouse gas footprints by opting to grill an Impossible Burger instead of a meat patty. The Impact Calculator uses data from Impossible Foods’ impact for its flagship product, the Impossible Burger.
Additionally, Postmates debuted the “Impossible Collection” in collaboration with the meatless brand, which allows customers on the app to order an “Impossible favorite” from local restaurants that offer the plant-based alternative burger. Customers are being encouraged to share the images created by the Impossible Impact Calculator after ordering.
Lego
Lego and NASA have teamed up for the terrestrial holiday, challenging their social media followers to build a planet with the plastic construction toy company’s colorful building blocks. In 2015, Lego announced a $1 billion initiative to go completely green by 2030.
Michelob Ultra Pure Gold
Even though our world-famous national parks are eerily devoid of tourists this year, Michelob Ultra is motivating folks to observe Earth Day and National Park Week safely at home by hosting an eco-themed beer giveaway.
Every time the Old Faithful geyser at Yellowstone National Park erupts from sunrise (6:29 a.m. MT) to sunset (8:13 p.m. MT) today, multiple contest participants will have the chance to win a one-year supply of Michelob Ultra Pure Gold.
Entrants need to keep their eyes on the geyser’s eruptions via the Old Faithful livestream or Michelob Ultra’s Twitter account. When it blows, they’ll need to tag @MichelobULTRA in a post and use the hashtag #GoldFaithful. One lucky winner will be randomly selected after each eruption.
