Greenpeace France Casts Pollution as the Villain in Horror Film Spoofs

A couple’s idyllic afternoon lounging by the water turns into a scene of terror, their breath choked off as malevolent forces close in for the kill.

That’s the plot of a movie trailer spoof from Greenpeace France, with a sandwich bag and pink-flamingo pool float, both made of environmentally-harmful plastic, cast as villains:

Not since Liquid Death’s campy aluminum cans have inanimate objects seemed so deadly in a Hollywood parody.

Next, we enter the forest, where a chainsaw wielded by a maniac—or a maniacal logger, at any rate—vows to leave no tree standing:

“Through these three films, which illustrate three current tragedies—deforestation, plastic pollution and the impact of fossil fuels on the climate —we want to raise awareness of the urgent need to change the scenario of ecological disaster,” says Greenpeace France communications director Laurence Veyne. “To write a different story, we need to radically change the rules of our system, which is exacerbating climate change, widening inequalities and destroying biodiversity.”

The work invites folks to visit Greenpeace’s website for more information. Although the approach is hardly new, director Alexandre Courtès does a fine job with genre styles and conventions. The over-bright backyard, murky woods and sultry-scary ocean feel torn from real cinema fare.

“The common good deserves big ideas to move forward,” says Charles Flamand, creative director at La Chose, which helped develop the campaign. “We invite you to ‘Change the Scenario’ in the face of the climate emergency. Beneath the humor and cruel irony lies meaning, as well as a positive definition of Greenpeace’s role.”

During production, “‘Plastic Attack’ was the most difficult film to shoot,” he recalls. “We spent a long time with this plastic bag issue to get the perfect shot. The bag was hung on a wire that the technicians were agitating by using a fishing rod and an air blower. Limited means require limitless imagination to bring an idea to life.”

CREDITS

Brand: Greenpeace France
Head of communication: Laurence Veyne
Creative director: Pierre Klipfel
Head of audiovisual production: Myrtille Gibaud

Agency: La Chose
CEO and Executive Creative Director: Eric Tong Cuong
Creative Director: Charles Flamand
Art director: Hugo Morius
Copywriter: Martin Epardaud
Strategic planning: Céline Faure
Account Director: Gloria Amzallag
Head of New Business: Morgane Mathern-Nguyen

Production: Das Ding x Surfacefilms.tv
Director: Alexandre Courtès
Producer: Jeremy Assoun
Head of Production: Thibaut Coiraud
Executive producer: Saint Gingembre / Éclosion
Director of photography: Valentin Vignet

Post production: 42 Post
Editing: Nicolas Larrouquère
Sound: Solal Tong Cuong / Baptiste Studio 48

Guest starring:
Eva Danino
Alexis Fuze
Laetitia Loreni
Stephen Manas
Frédéric Casse aka “Michel Vedette”
Maxime Brechet