PROTEST MARCH OF THE PENGUINS

Penguin conservation struggles to compete for public attention and funding, despite nearly half of all penguin species being classified as Vulnerable or Endangered. When Donald Trump’s tariff announcement unexpectedly included the penguin-inhabited Heard and McDonald Islands, the internet exploded with memes and outrage—creating a rare cultural moment that Penguins International could turn into action. “Protest March of the Penguins” transformed the penguins’ annual migration into a symbolic anti-tariff protest. By reframing their march as part of the wider political demonstrations dominating social media, the campaign used humor, satire, and real-time culture to make penguin conservation impossible to ignore. Penguins International launched a livestream event on YouTube that presented the penguins’ migration like a live protest broadcast, complete with commentary from former Bloomberg anchor Jacqueline Hansen. Viewers could interact, share, and donate in real time, while campaign messaging spread beyond digital platforms as protesters in major cities adopted penguin signs and merchandise during real-world marches. The campaign generated more than 3.4 million views, while the launch video outperformed the organization’s previous best-performing social post by nearly 2200%. It also drove 1.3 billion earned impressions globally and, most importantly, increased donations by 453%, successfully moving penguin conservation into the center of public conversation. CREDITS Agency: Rethink, Toronto. Client / Brand: Penguins International. Art Directors: Nick Noh, Juun Moon, Jaclyn McConnell. Chief Creative Officers: Mike Dubrick, Aaron Starkman. Chief Strategy Officer: Sean McDonald. Copywriters: Jordan Darnbrough, Tessa Warburton, Sadiya Bano. Group Creative Directors: Jordan Darnbrough, Nick Noh. Designer: Mark Mabey. Editors: Tyler Erdelac, Thais Viana Maranho, Alijah Monckton. Executive Creative Director: Xavier Blais. Strategy Director: Emma Bayfield. Head of Strategy: Julian Morgan. Co-Presidents: Alexa Mehos, Mike Rueb. Creative Operations Director: Joel McCurdy. Executive Director: David Schutt. Group Production Lead: AJ Merrick. Head of Production: Laura Rioux. Head of Public Relations: Meredith Burns. Managing Director: Marie Lunny. Post Production Supervisor: Shannon Ing. PR Account Director: Sara Lemmermeyer. Senior Integrated Producer: Narine Artinian.