It’s only when something is gone, that we realize how much we miss it. With this in mind, Greenpeace brought back one of Europe’s most photographed tourist attractions – the giant ‘I amsterdam‘ letters which previously stood in front of the Dutch capital’s world-famous Rijksmuseum – as ‘I amazonia‘. The 22m x 3 m high replica sign aims to draw attention to another landmark vital to our survival which is disappearing in front of our eyes: the Amazon rainforest.
When the original ‘I amsterdam’ letters were removed in December 2018 an outcry went through international media. The letters have been one of the most Instagrammed, photographed, and recognized landmarks in Europe, familiar to millions of people worldwide.
Duval Guillaume tapped into an idea that is as smart as it is simple: a stunt in which the iconic red and white ‘I am’ letters are put back in their original spot, with a strikingly modified spelling: ‘I amazonia’.
Coming in at 23 meters wide and 3 meters high the ‘I amazonia’ installation is an exact copy of the original tourist attraction that was removed by the current city council. However, Greenpeace’s “I amazonia” letters, aim to draw attention to another icon that is being removed before our eyes, the Amazonian rainforest.
Sigrid Deters, forest and biodiversity campaigner at Greenpeace Netherlands said: “Our capital city’s iconic ‘I amsterdam’ sign, set in front of the Rijksmuseum, drew the admiration and camera lenses of millions of people worldwide. By bringing it back in altered state as ‘I amazonia’, Greenpeace not only calls for the urgent protection of the largest remaining rainforest in the world, but also sends a strong message of solidarity to the Indigenous People and traditional communities who are protecting the Amazon against deforestation.”
Under the leadership of President Bolsonaro, the Brazilian government plans to open up the Amazon forest for exploitation. Unlike the ‘I amsterdam’ sign, the Amazon forest is an iconic place the world cannot afford to lose. Because if we lose the Amazon forest today, we will lose the fight against climate change forever.
And it’s only when the Amazon rainforest will be gone, that we will realize how much we miss it.
Koenraad Lefever, creative director at Duval Guillaume: “Although the conversation about the climate is omnipresent today, it is striking that the focus on deforestation of the Amazon rainforest in Brazil has faded into the background. However, further deforestation of the Amazon forest will not only be a scar for Brazil, but will increase the impacts of a climate breakdown.”
With an action in the heart of Amsterdam that expresses that “we are all Amazonia”, we are re-focusing all eyes of the world on what is a global urgency.” #Iamazonia
Greenpeace launched the ‘Save the Amazon and stand with the guardians of the forest’-petition as a part of the All eyes on the Amazon-project. In this program, Greenpeace works together with a coalition of human and Indigenous rights organizations to protect the Amazon rainforest from illegal logging, mining, oil extraction, and expanding industrial agriculture and livestock.
CREDITS
Client: Greenpeace (Netherlands)
Agency: Duval Guillaume
Creative Director: Koenraad Lefever
Creative team: Karel De Mulder, Arnaud Bailly
Account team: Jessica Danese, Steven Boen, Axelle Gontier, Anaïs Lavie
Strategic Director: Jorian Vanvossel
PR Manager: Noemie Mwanzuzi
RTV producers: Daan Feytongs, Saartje Gooris
Sound engineer: Jeroen Goossens
Post production: Bart Callaerts
Event producer: Christ Lannoy
Production: Soulvizion
Director: Bram Rekers
Producer: Erik van der Zwan
Editor: Jesse Vulink
Sound: Merijn Kramp
Photographer: Olivier Truyman
