How to make smog go viral?
Smogathon
Back to the 50s
It was a personal one
Smogathon, a global competition for clean-air technology, needed to attract young scientists and tech startups from around the world to apply. The challenge was set against the backdrop of our hometown Cracow - a city back then suffering from some of the worst air pollution in Europe.
With a tiny budget and a mission that hit close to home, we were determined: create a film that gets the world’s brightest minds to care and to act.
Make it fun
How do you discuss a deadly serious topic without losing your audience? We researched the data (millions of deaths worldwide) and realized a dark, dystopian approach wouldn't inspire the target audience of young, brilliant innovators. The decision was made to explain the complex science and data through the lens of playful, 1950s television advertising, a medium built on clarity and charm.
Retro-futurism!
By wrapping hard data in a layer of humor, minimalism, and distinctive art direction, we created something designed to stop the scroll and hold attention. The concept: a charismatic, pin-up style host in a monochrome blue world explains the urgency of the smog crisis using whimsical, handmade props.
A breath of fresh air
The film was an immediate success. It garnered 170,000 organic views on Facebook - a massive achievement for a niche science competition back in 2017 - and drove a successful wave of applications.
More importantly, the project gave Smohathon a distinctive soul, proving that even with the smallest of budgets, a strong creative idea can make a world of difference.