Spark Media Video Production Agency
Animating Action: How Video Production Inspires Sustainability
- Rebecca Snoad
Date Published: 05/06/2024
Animated Environmental Videos
To celebrate World Environment Day, we want to reflect on a creative way to drive positive environmental action 
Animation
Animation is a powerful tool for raising awareness and inspiring action. Its ability to visualise complex concepts in a digestible, accessible and eye-catching format makes it an ideal medium for conveying environmental messages. Animated environmental videos break down our barriers to understanding the problem and making informed choices.
It could be an explainer animation for renewable technology. Or perhaps it’s an advert to show off a sustainable product. Maybe it’s a short film that paints a powerful story for an environmental campaign. Whatever the format, animation has the power to transcend language barriers and engages audiences of all ages and backgrounds.
This blog takes a closer look at 4 animated environmental videos. They each call for a more sustainable future and have successfully inspired action.
Big Shift Global campaign
We produced a series of powerful environmental animated videos for The Big Shift Global campaign, from social content to a mini-documentary. They deliver a strong message to the World Bank about its persistent funding of fossil fuels and call for it to shift finance into renewable energy. The impact? These disruptive films have been shown to the World Bank at the G7 summit in Washington to spread awareness and demand attention.
Why Animation?
With animation, we can paint a variety of different landscapes without actually going there. We can imagine what our world will look like in the future. Using colour and texture, we created strong juxtapositions between vibrant terrains and dingy, post-apocalyptic landscapes to enhance the message that our world is being destroyed.
Clean Air Zone
We made a short film for Birmingham City Council which was used to launch Birmingham’s Clean Air Zone. Targeted action is taken to improve air quality, in particular by discouraging the most polluting vehicles from entering the zone.
Why Animation?
Being a new initiative, there was no footage of the strategy in action. Instead, we told its story by conceptualising and animating 2 cloud characters, Caz and Reg. These endearing clouds take Birmingham on its journey to reduce air pollution. By personifying nature, animation can evoke sympathy and foster emotional connections that compel audiences to reconsider their relationship with the environment.
South Staffs Water
We produced a TV advert for South Staff Water’s Waste Not, One Drop campaign, which was broadcast to millions of Sky and Virgin Media viewers. The campaign was designed to change the way we use water for the better. The video lists all of the way we can cut down our water use and reduce water waste.
Why Animation?
This project is a mix of live action and animation. The main purpose of animation in this context was to give the advert a more modern and dynamic feel. It added visual flair and transformed seemingly boring scenes (like someone brushing their teeth) into interesting, eye-catching shots. Animation also plays a role in emphasising key points, making information more digestible.
Tanki
In recent years, there has been a noticeable rise in sustainable, eco-friendly products launching on the market. There’s also been a major shift in consumption patterns. Consumers have become more conscious of the impact their purchasing decisions have on the environment. They aren’t just buying products. They’re buying into the values and mission behind the brand. Research has found that sustainability promotes trust in a brand, particularly among younger audiences.
But what’s the best way to convey this to your audience when all other brands are doing the same? And if you’re a start-up, how do you stand out from brands which have been household names for decades?
Why Animation?
Animation can help cut through all this noise and leave a lasting impression. Let’s take the brand Tanki UK. In the UK, we flush 22,000 tonnes of glue down the loo every year. Tanki are trying to combat this with their eco-friendly glue and plastic free toilet paper. They came to us as a brand new company, so we needed to produce a TV advert that was fresh and would get a hold of people’s attention.
It is the only toilet paper that is legally compliant for discharge at sea, so we settled on an aquatic theme and got to work. We got a bespoke jingle made and animated photograph cut-outs of sea creatures to sing along…and Cod Bassie and the Tanketts were born! How could you forget a lead singing fish with a sequin jacket and a top hat? The advert was broadcast on ITV, showing off the new environmentally friendly product in a fun and engaging way.
Overall...
Animated video production can amplify voices, inspire change, and pave the way towards a more sustainable planet for generations to come. So let’s continue to support and create animated content that sparks conversations, ignites imaginations, and fosters a deep appreciation for the natural world. After all, when it comes to protecting our planet, every voice and every frame counts.
