• by Steve Ellwanger , March 22, 2022

Fridays For Future U.S. is raising awareness of the fifth annual Global Climate Strike with a campaign on social media featuring Gen Z preteens satirically questioning the legitimacy and purpose of climate-change concerns.

The pro bono campaign from the Fred & Farid agency is based in part on a 2021 Pew Research survey showing that 76% of the Gen Z generation considers climate change to be among the biggest societal concerns.

Global climate movement Fridays For Future was launched in 2018 by Greta Thunberg, a then-15-year-old Swedish student who skipped school to stage a protest that became Global Climate Strike—which will be celebrated on Friday.

In this “We Don’t Care” campaign video, youths smugly dismiss the threat of climate change as “a Chinese-foundated conspiracy,” “not only fake news but fake science” and “it’s not my priority—to be honest,” among other claims.

At the end, each one gets serious and says, “If we don’t care, who will?”

Asked how the youngsters were chosen, a Fred & Farid rep tells Marketing Daily, “The director with her producer started an open casting in greater Los Angeles mixing street casting and agents. In just a few days, the cast was complete.”

Among other actions listed on its website, Fridays For Future encourages “school striking” on March 25—when “strikes” are expected in more than 100 countries outside local parliaments and city halls.

“It is up to you whether you go to school that day and walk out or skip for the day. We suggest you talk to your principal and teachers ahead of time and ask them to support you,” the website states.

“The good news is that scientists believe limiting warming is absolutely technically possible,” Fridays For Future U.S. organizer Katharina Maier said in a news release. “It is urgent to act to save our planet before it’s too late, and together we can.”

When NASA’s Perseverance Rover touched down on Mars in 2021, Fridays For Future U.S. and Fred & Farid launched “1%”—a satirical “tourism” ad that touted the attractions of Mars to awaken the 99% of humans who would have to remain on earth.