What began as a powerful visual thought, reimagining Brazil’s flag as an environmental warning, has now taken shape. Droga5 has unveiled Lifeless Flag, a campaign created for the debut of the SOS Oceano (SOS Ocean) coalition, an alliance dedicated to the preservation of Brazil’s marine and coastal ecosystems.
“No blue, no green” is the central theme of the campaign, which merges creativity, design, and cultural significance into a global call to action using advertising as a force for change.
The project was symbolically revealed during Rio Ocean Week on 23 October, with a flag hoisted between the Museum of Tomorrow and the Rio Art Museum (MAR). The campaign will continue through October and November, aligning with the global objective of protecting 30 per cent of the world’s oceans by 2030.
No Green Without the Blue
Gabriela Rodrigues, Chief Impact Officer at Droga5, emphasised the need to give equal importance of ‘voice’ to ocean conservation alongside the protection of forests.
“Our role as communicators is to craft stories that spark new reflections in society and ensure that relevant messages escape their bubbles. We often speak about the importance of protecting forests, but it is equally essential to focus on ocean preservation,” Rodrigues said.
The campaign’s visual manifesto reflects the same story of the planet. Diego Limberti, Chief Design Officer at Droga5, explained the colour symbolism behind the concept.
“Green exists because there is blue. It is from the meeting of blue and yellow that the colour representing our forests is born. Just like in nature, without the blue of the oceans, there is no green of life on land”
“This chromatic relationship becomes the message. When the flag loses its blue, it loses its green, and the visual void becomes an alert,” Limberti adds.