Rainforest Alliance
Strategy | Creative
“I’m here because of f**ing deforestation.” Not your typical NGO brand film opener… but the Rainforest Alliance aren’t typical.
Reviving the spirit
The Rainforest Alliance was never meant to last. In 1987, its founders thought they’d save the rainforest and close up shop. But 35 years on, farming still drives 90% of tropical deforestation, and the frog is more relevant than ever. They needed a film that told their story to date, and why the mission is still urgent. But we didn’t want it to feel like a charity cliché. No soft piano. No sad monkeys. No solemn voiceovers. Instead, the film had to be charged, irreverent and inspiring — true to their spirit.
The big idea
We should be closed by now. A line that flips expectations and frames the paradox at the heart of the story. Rather than pile on doom, we leaned into contradiction: an organisation that should have shut down years ago, but can’t. Not yet. That opened the door to humour, a punk energy that echoed how the organisation began, and a voice that cut through in a sea of bad news. Daniel Katz, one of the original Rainforest Alliance founders, brought the raw honesty: “I’m here because of f*****g deforestation.” His passion became the film’s backbone, a counterpoint to a wry narrator.
Mixed media, Maximum energy
The film smashes together 35 years of history with cultural references, nostalgia and hard truths. Home movies and archive footage collide with global farming realities and even a nod to Aerosmith. Aspect ratios, colours and bold graphic text crash onto the screen — creating a restless energy that mirrors the urgency of the message. That spirit ran through the soundtrack too. We commissioned a track that fused New York punk and music from the countries where Rainforest Alliance works. The result was a rebellious blend of everything the organisation stands for.
Beyond the brand film
Alongside the main brand film, we carried the same art direction and tone into four crop-specific films. Coffee, bananas, chocolate and tea, bringing the same humour, urgency and visual energy to the products that make the biggest impact on rainforests. Queue Charlie Chaplin, a dog in the bath and the power to help change the world with a chocolate bar.
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