Greenpeace and Mother successfully combined music with a message in a new campaign aimed at recruiting young climate activists.

Using a song from the 1970s, Greenpeace worked with current artists to make the passions of an older generation applicable to today’s youth. Future Utopia, Avelino, and Tomorrow’s Warriors covered Fleetwood Mac’s original, ‘Don’t Stop’. The choice is apt to convey the environmental activist’s message that people should not stop thinking about the future of our planet.

Jazz instrumentation from Tomorrow’s Warriors, lyrics by renowned rapper Avelino and vocals from the House Gospel Choir, come together to create the single. Producer Fraser T Smith, who has worked with the likes of Drake, Adele, and Dave, focused on ensuring that the cover resound with a new generation.

The lyrics critique harmful production that puts profit before the planet, and highlight the people who will be left to deal with the consequences. Audiences hear, “We’re too worried about what we’re generating and not about the next generation”. Greenpeace points to the fossil fuel industries and the damage they are causing, but emphasise that the song is a message of hope.

With the single comes a short film which features Will Poulter of Midsommar and Guardians of the Galaxy 3. Oscar-winning director Steve McQueen, of 12 Years a Slave, is the Executive Producer, and his protege, Samona Olanipekun, directs. The film depicts Poulter attending an extravagant event and he watches chaos unfold as the elite party like there’s no tomorrow. During the film, the wealthy ignore the band and their heartfelt message. Instead, they are busy consuming food and drink in gluttonous fashion; food is shoved into mouths and drink spills from glasses.

Symbolism is rife throughout the film; a melting ice sculpture of a globe in a hand represents global warming, melting ice caps, and human responsibility, underlining the message that the future of the planet is in our hands. Dark chocolate flows like slick oil, spilling carelessly. A tap runs and water overflows out of a full sink. Mess accumulates quickly and attention is drawn to the damage and waste of the careless elite. Yet, overwhelmingly the film’s message is one of hope and the young servers offer not only miniature burgers and champagne flutes, but also a voice for the future. In the end, a member of staff addresses the audience explaining, “It’s not too late to stop the fossil fuel party”.

“When you look at the state of the world that older generations have wrought, oil companies partying like there’s no tomorrow, politicians watching as our house is on fire, it can feel overwhelming. But awareness and resolve to save our planet, to save lives and livelihoods, has never been stronger,” says Areeba Hamid, Executive Director of Greenpeace UK.

The film debuted at Glastonbury Festival where climate activism has classically resounded with the crowd. As evidenced by the long-standing Greenpeace Field. The film played to over 200,000 attendees on screens across the festival. With a clever combination of message and culturally relevant media, Glastonbury provided the perfect launchpad for the campaign which aims to onboard a new generation of climate activists. Like the youth of the film, festival attendees were encouraged to keep tomorrow in mind. Far from being powerless the film powerfully communicated that by coming together, they can make a difference for the planet, themselves, and generations to come.