The Death of The Warsaw Palm - UNEP
UN World Environment Day

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Title of Entry:	The Death of The Warsaw Palm
Brand:	UNEP
Product/Service:	UN World Environment Day
Client:	UNEP/GRID-Warsaw Centre
Entrant Company:	Syrena Communications
Creative Agency:	Syrena Communications
Creative Director:	Jarek Wiewiórski
Art Director:	Tengiz Begoidze
Designer:	Barbara Borkała
Copywriter:	Levan Muskhelishvili
Chief Creative Officer:	Jarek Wiewiórski
Sector:	PUBLIC & SOCIAL
Account Executive:	Marek Szynal
Date of Release:	2019-06-01
Notes:	A popular public art piece and one of symbols of Warsaw has changed its meaning to become a haunting environmental message: An artificial tree became a real, but withered one on the World Environment Day. The gesture was broadcasted by every major news outlet in Poland and hundreds globally. That happened entirely thru earned media. Out of 50 most polluted cities in the European Union, 36 are in Poland. Burning stoves are common and the average car is 13 years old diesel, no filter. Education is needed. But the coal-loving government does little to start the environmental discussion. Our task was to provoke it on the UN World Environment Day. Also, to support our client, UNEP GRID Warsaw with the publicity needed to meet the authorities to push for the solutions. We hacked Warsaw’s art symbol. The artificial Warsaw Palm is the largest public art piece in Poland, by the contemporary artist Joanna Rajkowska. It has towered over the busy city center since 2002. On UN World Environment Day, we replaced its green artificial leaves with real, but dead ones, and let Poland guess why and how the Warsaw Palm could wither. ​ ​ The campaign has been broadcasted by 177 major titles in Poland and over 300 globally. It had a total reach of 35,1 M in Poland. We collected 12 000 eco declarations on the first day of the action. That has helped UNEP GRID Warsaw meeting with the Minister of the Environment to discuss the immediate steps for the improving air quality in Poland. A nation-wide discussion on the environment has become a reality.
Other Credits:	Edyta Kotowicz - Creative Shop Facebook
Other Credits:	Marcin Piecewicz - OneHouse
Other Credits:	Katarzyna Wasilewska - Client