National Geographic and Procter & Gamble have announced ACTIVATE, a new multiplatform storytelling partnership and six-part documentary series co-produced by Global Citizen and RadicalMedia. Premiering globally fall 2019 on National Geographic in 172 countries and 43 languages, the ACTIVATE series — bolstered by custom content distributed across National Geographic’s unrivaled social, digital, linear and print channels — will focus on extreme poverty, inequality and sustainability issues to mobilize global citizens to drive meaningful and lasting change.
Each episode delves into a different issue connected to the root causes of extreme poverty, following a specific Global Citizen campaign and organizers, amplifiers, grassroots activists and the people whose lives are being changed. ACTIVATE episode topics include clean drinking water and sanitation, racial bias and criminalization of poverty, girls’ education, responsible sourcing, plastic waste and disaster relief.
ACTIVATE will take audiences from the stage of the Global Citizen Festival to the front lines of change around the world, where work to address issues related to extreme poverty is happening in real and tangible ways through initiatives administered by P&G and Global Citizen. Through the eyes of activists includingUzo Aduba, Rachel Brosnahan, Hugh Jackman, Gayle King, Usher and Pharrell Williams, and told through the iconic storytelling lens of National Geographic, viewers will hear the stories, meet the people and witness firsthand the work that is being done to combat extreme poverty and inspire a global movement.
The multiplatform ACTIVATE storytelling partnership will expand beyond the documentary series to include a 12-page custom print section for ACTIVATE in the September issue of National Geographic magazine as well as custom story stretches aligned with each episode, custom digital articles and social media moments for each P&G brand aligned with ACTIVATE. The partnership will also include a digital headquarters for consumers who would like to dive deeper into the six critical issues highlighted in the series, the Global Citizen campaigns connected to each and P&G’s efforts on these topics.
The ACTIVATE partnership is the result of a shared commitment National Geographic, P&G and Global Citizen have made to leverage their collective influence, audience and scale to both raise awareness and inspire a global community to take action. For more than 10 years, Global Citizen has been working to defeat extreme poverty through grassroots efforts and citizen engagement; it motivates businesses, organizations and governments to make changes that will have real impact around the world. At the same time, P&G has a rich history of leveraging its brands and its people to make the world a better place by addressing critical issues related to girls’ education, clean drinking water, disaster relief and more. And for more than 130 years, National Geographic has utilized its powerful imagery and impact storytelling to help audiences across the globe understand the world around them so that, in turn, they care more about it.
“At National Geographic, we want to tell stories that matter and we’re excited to work with partners like P&G and Global Citizen that share our values and want to tell those stories with us,” said Courteney Monroe, President, National Geographic Global Television Networks. “Through this multiplatform partnership, we will leverage our collective influence, audience and scale to raise awareness and drive action on some of the world’s toughest challenges. Each episode of ACTIVATE will serve as a rallying cry, focusing on real solutions and avenues for their implementation — a strategic attempt we hope will move audiences around the globe from ‘intent’ to ‘action.’”
“ACTIVATE is a powerful storytelling platform for P&G brands – Tide, Always, Charmin and Head & Shoulders – to use their voices as a force for good,” said Marc Pritchard, Chief Brand Officer, Procter & Gamble. “Brands affect nearly every person on the planet, every day, and can be agents of change – individually and collectively. We believe one of the best ways to solve the challenges facing our world is for brands to spark conversations that mobilize people to take action.”
“Over the past 10 years, Global Citizens have campaigned on the most pressing issues facing the world with a shared goal of defeating extreme poverty,” said Hugh Evans, CEO, Global Citizen. “Through our partnership with National Geographic and P&G, we are excited for the first time to be able to share the stories behind the movement and the impact of our advocacy, and encourage viewers in 172 countries to stand up and join the fight.”
“RadicalMedia is honored to support Global Citizens worldwide and grassroots efforts to eradicate extreme poverty by 2030,” said Jon Doran, Managing Director/Executive Producer, RadicalMedia. “We are proud to be partners in telling the story behind the passionate work being done to better the lives of others and hope to inspire a new crop of citizens who want to join the fight.”
Film crews are already out in the field — in South Africa, the Philippines, Nigeria and Peru — capturing content for the ACTIVATE series; the first episode is slated to air in fall 2019. Keeping in tune with its global platform, the ACTIVATE series will also illustrate experimentation with new content and distribution models, and new ways to mobilize viewers across the world.
