Greenpeace East Asia has taken a bold step in eco activism, becoming the first environmental organization to launch an animated comedy series via Kickstarter to help buoy its mission. The 2D project, My Pet Footprint, is a satirical takedown of manipulative messaging from “Big Oil,” created in partnership with animation studio Wit & Wisdom. The series’ pre-launch buzz built up a waitlist of 25,000-plus would-be subscribers ready to come on board.
Synopsis: Set in the early 2000s, My Pet Footprint follows teen Bella Tollman who, instead of getting the dog she desperately wants, is saddled with Betty — a hyperactive, shape-shifting carbon footprint containing the extracted guilty conscience of the entire fossil fuel industry. As the physical manifestation of Big Oil’s collective climate crimes, Betty drags her unwilling teenage companion through time and space to witness environmental destruction firsthand, upending Bella’s carefully constructed social life in the process.
The series introduces a wild cast of characters, including Klepp Shartenheit (the world’s most powerful oil CEO), Thoth (an Egyptian god working as a pool cleaner) and Dr. Manxome (the mysterious “cleaning lady” who extracted Big Oil’s collective guilt) — all bringing climate issues to audiences in revolutionary ways.
“For decades, corporations taught us to blame ourselves for climate change. With My Pet Footprint, we’re flipping their script — and having a hell of a lot of fun doing it,” said Daniel Bird, director at Wit & Wisdom. “The history of climate change is ridiculous — humanity has been maneuvered into the worst possible position by the worst possible people for the worst possible reasons.”
With My Pet Footprint, Wit & Wisdom is building on its track record of creating compelling animated narratives that address global issues. The studio has previously worked on campaigns which helped pressure Unilever to halt rainforest damaging activities and spurred Facebook to commit to 100% renewable energy.
My Pet Footprint and its crowdfunding campaign are anchored by several key points, according to the producers:
- Reclaiming Manipulated Narratives: While the British multinational oil and gas company BP’s marketing team popularized the term “carbon footprint” to shift blame from corporations to individuals, My Pet Footprint flips this manipulation back on its creators.
- Unprecedented Creative Access: Backers become legitimate co-creators with opportunities to voice characters, collaborate on dialog or appear as animated characters.
- Limited Exclusive Rewards: Tiered support packages from Digital Supporter ($30) to Creative Weekend Pack ($9,500) are strictly limited, with high-tier rewards projected to sell out within hours of launch.
- From Streaming to Social Change: Every dollar raised directly supports script development, animation production and creation of a pilot episode that will attract major streaming platforms.
- Cultural Intervention Strategy: The series breaks through climate communication barriers using humor that’s angry, weird, sweet and ultimately mobilizing.
“With My Pet Footprint, we’re not just creating entertainment — we’re part of a movement that refuses to be silenced,” said Mikyoung Kim, Project Manager at Greenpeace East Asia. “As corporations try to dominate the narrative, this series pushes rage beyond the placard and into our culture.”
“If we laugh at climate change, we can talk about it. If we talk about it, we’re a mile closer to taking the action the world needs,” Bird concluded. “Our rewards are strictly limited, and with over 25,000 people already on the waitlist, they’ll disappear fast. Don’t miss your chance to help kick My Pet Footprint into reality — Lord knows, reality needs it.”
The Kickstarter campaign runs from April 8 to early May 2025.
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