Planet Possible Storytelling Will Inform and Encourage Consumers to Build on the Scientific and Environmental Gains of the Past Year Through Content, Products and Experiences Aimed at Enabling People to Discover What They Can Do to Help Preserve Our Home
Earth Day Is Being Celebrated on Multiple Platforms, Including an Earth Day Eve 2021 Virtual Celebration With a Star-Studded Lineup of Environmentally Conscious Musical Artists and the Earth Day Premiere of the Disney+ Original Series ‘Secrets of the Whales’
(WASHINGTON – April 21, 2021) As a global event each year, Earth Day unites more than 1 billion people to take part in what is the largest civic-focused action day in the world. This year, as the world begins to gradually reemerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, National Geographic is launching Planet Possible, a new multiplatform, multiyear initiative aimed at helping consumers build on the scientific and environmental gains of the past year and empower them to live more lightly on the planet.
“This past year has transformed our preexisting notions of what is possible, as we have seen a new vaccine for a previously unknown disease developed and rolled out to the public with unprecedented speed, CO2 emissions plummet and vulnerable wildlife populations show promising signs of recovery. As people around the world have navigated the challenges of the pandemic, millions have sought refuge in the outdoors and reconnected with nature,” said Gary Knell, chairman, National Geographic Partners. “We are excited for Planet Possible to build on this momentum, by inviting consumers to understand the threats to our planet and imagine new possibilities. National Geographic’s unrivaled portfolio of content, products and experiences, as well as the impact work being led by the nonprofit National Geographic Society, sets the stage for this new initiative that will help people explore our world, share its beauty with others, and discover what they can do to help preserve our home.”
Through Planet Possible, National Geographic aims to offer something for every environmentally conscious consumer everywhere, reflecting the brand’s commitment to excite and motivate consumers on Earth Day and beyond.
Coinciding with the Earth Day launch of Planet Possible, the Disney+ original series from National Geographic, “Secrets of the Whales,” premieres on Disney+ on April 22. From Academy Award®-winning filmmaker and National Geographic Explorer at Large James Cameron and featuring the expertise and skill of National Geographic Explorer and photographer Brian Skerry, the series takes viewers deep within the epicenter of whale culture to experience the extraordinary communication skills and intricate social structures of whales. The four-part series is narrated by award-winning actress and conservationist Sigourney Weaver. Following the “Secrets of the Whales” premiere on Earth Day, National Geographic Live, the brand’s speaker series, will be hosting “Behind the Curtain: Secrets of the Whales with Brian Skerry,” a complimentary show at 7 p.m. EDT.
Planet Possible will encompass an array of National Geographic content:
- A Planet Possible hub (natgeo.com/planetpossible)that serves as an evergreen home for National Geographic content, including stories that highlight environmental solutions, showcase the work of changemakers across the globe, and empower consumers to lead more sustainable lives.
- Weekly Newsletter: For consumers who want fact-based information on the state of the environment, including ways to help, delivered straight to their inboxes, National Geographic’s Planet Possible newsletter features uplifting, solutions-oriented stories, surprising and provocative data, tips and field reports from National Geographic Explorers, photographers and more. Sign up at natgeo.com/planetpossible.
- National Geographic Originals: A key part of the Planet Possible initiative will be to showcase National Geographic content, such as the brand’s landmark natural history programming, to engender a deeper love of the Earth that enables fans to see the world like they never have before.
- Magazine content: National Geographic’s May issue, The Ocean Issue, is a special single-topic issue showcasing the world’s oceans, with the cover featuring National Geographic Explorer and photographer Brian Skerry’s bold Secrets of the Whales project. For the first time, the magazine includes applicable tips alongside each feature to empower readers to make small changes in their daily lives and learn how those changes can impact preservation of the planet.
- National Geographic Books: Secrets of the Whales, a magnificent book pf photography from award-winning National Geographic Explorer and photographer Brian Skerry, with a foreword by James Cameron, offers groundbreaking new insight into the lives of the world’s largest mammals, along with their complex societies, and is on sale now.
- National Geographic Kids Magazine: The May 2021 issue of Nat Geo Kids magazine is a special oceans-themed issue that shares tips with young readers about how to protect our planet.
- Products: For the explorer in all of us. From 100% organic cotton t-shirts from GapKids, a travel journal from Moleskine, STEM kits from Blue Marble and more, every National Geographic product purchase helps support the global nonprofit National Geographic Society in its work to protect and illuminate the world through exploration, research, and education. To learn more, visit natgeo.com/info.
- Podcasts: The sixth season of National Geographic’s acclaimed podcast, “Overheard at National Geographic,” has released a bonus episode in celebration of Earth Day. Listeners will hear National Geographic Explorer and photographer Brian Skerry dive with killer whales and discover that they have unique cultures that aren’t that different from our own. The episode, “The Secret Culture of Killer Whales,” is available now on National Geographic, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, iHeart Radio, Google Podcasts and Castbox.
In addition to the launch of Planet Possible, National Geographic is commemorating Earth Day with a star-studded Earth Day Eve virtual celebration, hosted by travel expert Jessica Nabongo and featuring performances from Angélique Kidjo, AURORA, José González, Maggie Rogers, Rostam, Valerie June, Willie Nelson, Yo-Yo Ma and Ziggy Marley, as well as a world premiere new music video from My Morning Jacket. The event will be streamed at NatGeo.com/EarthDayEve and the Nat Geo YouTube channel, and is being followed by a TikTok after-party at 10 p.m. EDT on the brand’s new TikTok account. Filmed largely in nature, the virtual concert will use music to celebrate our Earth and inspire people to preserve our planet.
The brand is also inviting social media users to participate in an uplifting social media campaign, Share Your Spot, which unifies National Geographic’s global community around a shared love of the Earth. The campaign, kicking off on Earth Day, encourages users to share the places that bring them happiness, hope and optimism by submitting pictures using the #ShareYourSpot hashtag and joining them in a global expression of love for the planet.
For over 133 years, National Geographic’s core mission has been to ignite the explorer in everyone through thought-provoking, fact-based storytelling from scientists, explorers, photographers and filmmakers. By helping people better understand the world and their role in it, National Geographic aims to inspire consumers to take the collective action needed to help preserve our planet.
Join the conversation online with #NatGeoEarthDay.
Press Contacts:
Anna Kukelhaus: anna.kukelhaus@natgeo.com, 202.258.8020
Caitlin Holbrook: caitlin.holbrook@natgeo.com, 716.225.0502
Chandler Hueth: chandler.hueth@natgeo.com, 732.865.4919
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About National Geographic Partners LLC
National Geographic Partners LLC (NGP), a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company and the National Geographic Society, is committed to bringing the world premium science, adventure and exploration content across an unrivaled portfolio of media assets. NGP combines the global National Geographic television channels (National Geographic Channel, Nat Geo WILD, Nat Geo MUNDO, Nat Geo PEOPLE) with National Geographic’s media and consumer-oriented assets, including National Geographic magazines; National Geographic studios; related digital and social media platforms; books; maps; children’s media; and ancillary activities that include travel, global experiences and events, archival sales, licensing and e-commerce businesses. Furthering knowledge and understanding of our world has been the core purpose of National Geographic for 133 years, and now we are committed to going deeper, pushing boundaries, going further for our consumers … and reaching millions of people around the world in 172 countries and 43 languages every month as we do it. NGP returns 27 percent of our proceeds to the nonprofit National Geographic Society to fund work in the areas of science, exploration, conservation and education. For more information visit natgeotv.com or nationalgeographic.com, or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and Pinterest.